


Don't let the door hit you

by trevo4folhas



Category: Bleach
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-02-26 07:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 58,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trevo4folhas/pseuds/trevo4folhas
Summary: Isshin was always a bit of an overbearing father, especially when it came to his children's love lives. It's a well known annoyance, but after a few drinks, Ichigo and his friends figure out a bullet-proof way to get his old man off his back for good. It hardly mattered that after sobering up, that idea stops looking so good.Fake boyfriend trope!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to give a go to the fake boyfriend trope! Why not? Most of this story is written already, but I've been feeling a bit lazy to finish it lately, so I thought of publishing here so maybe you guys can tell me what you think and give me that push :)  
> If you do enjoy it, remember to leave some feedback!
> 
> Currency: the story is set in Japan, but the currency is in dollars. Yeah, I know. It was just so it would be more intuitive to read. I initially planned on writing it down as yen, but I would have to do a little research on what is a good amount of money or not on that currency… and if I have to search that up, I can’t expect readers to go through the same trouble. I hope you don't mind turning a blind eye to that, but I felt like ultimately it would be the best way to go.
> 
> Sexuality: I didn’t make anything too serious when talking about sexuality, but I thought of Isshin as sort of a well intended fool. He means no harm, but thinks things that would make people roll their eyes. Again, nothing mean spirited is in this story, but there are a few dim-witted comments here and there. It’s not me talking.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

 

The drink in Kurosaki Ichigo’s hand was strong, warming, and very much welcome.

There wasn’t actually anything particularly stressful about his life. He had good, healthy friends who he saw regularly – like now – and an unremarkable job as a nurse at the local hospital. His father had a clinic of his own, right in their old family home, but Ichigo was never interested in working there.

No, he’d rather stay as far away from his childhood home as possible, because if there was one thing he could point out that actually gave him some grievances, was how overbearing his old man was.

Isshin Kurosaki somehow got into his head that his son was very much like him – down to the job choice and all, which brought about a significant problem in his eyes: Ichigo was still single. At twenty-seven years old, he never bothered to bring a girlfriend home.

Even his younger sisters had introduced a few boyfriends in the past (which their father quickly scared away), and they had considerably more time in their hands.

Time for what, you ask? Marriage and children, of course.

You see, Isshin himself already had a wife and kid at 25, so in his head, having a son that insisted on staying a bachelor for so long was nothing short of an anomaly.

Ichigo had a few girlfriends, some of them for a while even, but he never really got to introduce them to the family. None of them ever felt like a permanent person in his life, so he never really bothered going through the embarrassment of bringing them home for his nutcase of a father to meet.

Still, even though he thought his reasoning was pretty understandable, it didn’t change the fact that his father already called him that afternoon to ask if tomorrow was going to be the day he brought home a lady.

So he swallowed his drink as his friends offered him sympathetic looks.

“You could just do what girls do, you know?” Tatsuki, a tomboyish woman who was one of his oldest friends suggested. “Just bring home someone awful enough that he’ll never ask about it again.”

Ichigo scoffed at the idea. Not that it was an actual suggestion, Tatsuki was just joking as they all put their working week behind their backs and let their drinks wash away adult responsibilities. That was another thing that probably contributed to his father’s dismay: From twenty two and on Ichigo never actually felt as old as he was, so he didn’t really see a romantic future as something he should already be thinking of.

His friends shared his feelings. Everyone at the bar with him was single and fine with it. Even Inoue, who effortlessly (and cluelessly) caught the eye of every man who saw her, hadn’t found that special someone. Ishida spent more time dressing up women than bedding them, Chad had a few easy-going dates here and there, and Tatsuki was so disinterested that most people obnoxiously conspired she was a closeted lesbian.

None of them was in a hurry to settle down. Far from it.

Subconsciously, Ichigo looked through the bar, his eyes jumping from woman to woman. He wasn’t cruel enough to approach anyone and ask them if they’d help him scare his father off his back. Tatsuki, however, couldn’t read his mind.

“You’re actually considering it.”

“Eh?” He looked back at her, noticing all his friends looking at him with an amused face. “I wasn’t. I could use some fresh air.”

“You know, it could work.” Tatsuki insisted, as she followed him outside without letting him escape.

“What kind of a person you take me for...” Ichigo groaned. Out of everyone, Ishida was the only one who looked completely unimpressed at the idea. “I can’t just approach a woman because she’s not _pretty_ , that’d be...”

“Cruel, Kurosaki is right.” As they left to the street outside, Ishida actually spoke in his defense, but before Ichigo got the opportunity to thank him Orihime started talking with a thoughtful index pressed against her chin.

“But it doesn’t have to be a girl.” She offered. “Your father keeps pushing for grandchildren, if you brought home a man he’d be just as unsettled.”

“Figures you’d find some sadistic way to turn things around.” Tatsuki smirked. “You think your old man would freak out?”

"Maybe?” Ichigo wondered, unconvinced. “I think he’d accept it if it was just about being male.”

Even though they left the bar, the fresh air didn’t seem to be doing much for them in terms of clearing their heads. Ichigo frowned at himself – he hadn’t drunk nearly enough to be actually discussing such a stupid idea, and neither did his friends look all that tipsy.

Just a small amount. It was always just a small amount...

Chad was complacently quiet while Tatsuki was the main instigator. Ichigo had a feeling that every single one of them was amused and curious to see if they could actually persuade him into their drunken plan. It was getting more elaborate too. Ichigo wasn’t all that sure he could even fake being gay. And isn’t that borderline offensive anyway?

Even if it’d teach his father a lesson.

“So he can’t just be male, he needs to have all the qualities., hm? By which I mean no qualities.” Tatsuki smirked.

Ichigo sighed, loudly.

“It would be funny, I give you that. But I can’t be bothered to look for someone like that just for an elaborate prank.”

“Think of your father’s face though.” She pressed with obvious mirth.

“Give it up Tatsuki. It’s not like someone like that and willing will just fall from the sky.”

Before anyone had time to say anything else, the bar’s front door opened to show the bouncer’s large body, as he unceremoniously carried someone much smaller than him – albeit still sturdy looking – and threw him outside.

The security guard regarded them with a tip of his head before walking back inside, as though he didn’t just kick out a man who fell in a heap on the street, scrambling to his knees to cuss him out.

At first, everyone was staring at the scene, none too sure of what exactly just happened. Then, Ichigo noticed with dread that all his friends turned to him, and with a few collusive glances at each other, smirked in his direction.

The man was already up and clearly intoxicated, brushing the dirt of his knees and still cursing the bouncer with a word choice that could only be described as vile. His face screamed of aggression with a scrunched up frown and thin, half shaven eyebrows. His clothes – an old pair of combat boots, studded jacket, and shamelessly suggestive t-shirt – sent a very clear message to the world. Still, it wasn’t something people wouldn’t figure out in their first glance at the unfriendly face and bright, unapologetic blue hair.

Oh no.

On that nice Friday night outside the usual bar, every single person in Ichigo Kurosaki’s group of friends seemingly reached the same conclusion.

It was Ishida, however, who spoke first.

“Oh great. There he is.”

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Ichigo stood alone at the door to his fathers house.

He was thinking that maybe he did have a little bit too much to drink, because Saturday morning arrived fresh, sunny, and with a roaring headache.

Still it was debatable whether that headache was because of how much Ichigo chugged down, or because his father woke him up at nine in the morning to ask over the phone if the weekend family dinner was still on – which he really didn’t have to do since it was an assiduous family tradition.

Maybe it was a combination of the two. Yeah.

That sounded like a good justification why he promptly told his father that yes, he was coming, and that he was bringing company with him too.

The joy those words brought up in Isshin were evident, up until the point when Ichigo – with a surprisingly genuinely hesitant voice for an actor as lousy as he was – told him he had a confession to make beforehand.

His company wasn't a girlfriend. It was a boyfriend.

The shock was fairly obvious. A much too long silence lingered on the phone, during which Ichigo could only imagine his father trying to wrap his head around what he just said, but soon enough he broke out of his shock with a weirdly aggressive, borderline defensive speech.

“My son! As if I would ever love you any less because of something like that!” Isshin started what would only turn out to be a headache aggravating speech on fatherly love. “I just want you to be happy with whoever you love, no matter if it’s man or woman! So don’t talk like that, you are forbidden to talk about your future husband in such a downcast voice!”

 _Future husband?_ Ichigo groaned over the phone as his father kept rambling. _This is why I can’t tell you anything, old man…_

In retrospective, Ichigo actually felt cruel for his little payback. His father was obviously in shock, but as someone whose love was unconditional, he brushed it off as quickly as he could and acted almost encouraging, describing how happy he was that his son finally found love, and how it made so much sense that he never brought girls home now.

Hm. Right.

Ichigo actually frowned at that. No, he wasn’t exactly a womanizer, but he was far from gay either. He didn’t remember ever contemplating men until he met the wreck that was his volunteer fake-boyfriend.

Although he wasn’t really a volunteer since they paid him 20$ and a couple of brews for him to help them out.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Yes, even that man’s name was a mouthful.

It was the ever proactive Tatsuki who approached the aggressive man that night before Ichigo could even tell her to stop. They all had more than just a bit of dutch courage, enough that the blue haired man’s snarl didn’t deter her or even decrease her smile. Quite the contrary.

“Hey.” She smiled, and from then on the night only got more bizarre.

Even in his drunken state, they got to know a little more about what kind of man Jaegerjaquez was, and he did not disappoint. Ichigo honestly regretted making the “ _fall from the sky_ ” comment, because it seemed like all his friends took it as a sign from the Universe that their joke was meant to happen, with the help of what had to be the worst person Ichigo ever met.

And he met some lousy people already.

Within three minutes, Jaegerjaquez managed to drive Ishida to storm off angry, but that in itself wasn’t a feat. He tried to fight the police because they looked at him “the wrong way”, threw up in an alley, actually did manage to start a fight with the local gang, went on a vandalism tirade and ended up having to be carried home by them. If the abandoned looking place he told them to drop him off was home at all.

His friendliest act of the night was asking if anyone wanted a hit of his joint, and even that was followed by an insult when they all shook their heads at the offer.

Ichigo sighed and looked down at his phone. A message notification flashed at the screen.

“ _almost there”_

Now in front of his old family home, he rang the doorbell, pushing his doubts back. He had to remind himself why he thought of a payback like this in the first place. It wasn’t just the alcohol speaking, but rather a frustration he had for quite a while. Ichigo never found that special someone. Sure, there were girls he dated here and there, but there was something intangible missing in every single one of his relationships. They never really connected in a way that he felt promised more.

It could just be that he had a very romantic and unrealistic perception of love and of finding that special someone. His father kneeling by his mother's portrait with loud proclamations of love all his life probably didn't help much. Or maybe there wasn’t such a thing as a special someone and he was fooling himself in thinking he could find one that he'd just _click_ with naturally. Or, in the pessimist scenario, not everyone was destined to find theirs.

Either way, it hurt when his father talked as though he was at fault for not making an effort, making a glaring and uncalled for implication that his son didn’t have anyone simply because he was selfish. Ichigo was sick of it. Even if it was a cruel plan, if it stopped his father from rubbing it in his face, he’d go through with it.

That very moment, the door opened.

It was a practiced maneuver. Ichigo dodged to the side, and his father was sent crashing into the ground.

“Brother!” His younger sister Yuzu greeted him, as her twin stood in the background, looking at their father with an unimpressed face.

“Yuzu, Karin. How have you been doing?” He smiled, his old man slowly getting back up.

“Ichigo!” Isshin called out loudly. Too loudly.

It was not doing his son’s headache any favors.

“Where is the person you wanted to introduce me to?” He asked, overly excited.

“Hm...” Ichigo looked around, eyebrow studiously raised. “I guess he’s late.”

“I can’t wait to meet him, brother!” Yuzu smiled. “I hope he likes dinner, you didn't tell me what he's into.”

Ichigo smiled at her, suddenly worried.

How come he hadn’t anticipated his sister also being excited? What if Jaegerjaquez spat the food to look bad in front of his father and ended up hurting Yuzu’s feelings? Fuck, he might just do that, he hardly knew the guy...

“I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who wouldn’t like your cooking.” He reassured her, making a mental note to ask Jaegerjaquez to at least compliment the food.

“Oy.”

All eyes faced the house's gates once they heard that greeting.

An unknown, rough and somehow pleasant voice called out from the street. Ichigo turned around and his sight fell on Jaegerjaquez in all his glory. He looked awful – same carefully unkempt hair, same combat boots, even the same cigarette smelling jacket.

Ichigo took a deep breath and looked back at his sister.

To his surprise, she was actually blushing.

“You...” Isshin acknowledged, face alarmingly serious. “You are this boyfriend I’ve heard so much about.”

Grimmjow spared him an unimpressed look. His blue eyes changed from the older man to Ichigo, and back to the older man.

Then, that grin.

It was one of the most remarkable things about Jaegerjaquez, something Ichigo noticed right away in the middle of his almost permanent frown. He had a devilish grin – there was no other way to describe it. A grin that made any parent lock their daughter in her room, that is, if they weren’t caught in it themselves. Hide your wives too while you're at it. A sharp canine standing out against a row of otherwise straight teeth, a small dimple in his cheek, the lowered lids giving his eyes a mischievous look.

Ichigo was pretty sure that if he was gay, he would have figured it out a long time ago. But there was no denying _that_ was doing things to him.

Specifically, a weird mixture of dread and exhilaration.

What the fuck.

“Aw babe,” Jaegerjaquez looked back at Ichigo, body weight on one hip and head tilted. “You been talking ‘bout me.”

“OH, Ichigo!” His father bawled, his large arm wrapping around his shoulders. “Who would have told you liked the rebellious looks?”

“Ugh dad!” Ichigo complained, breaking free from the grasp and noticing the amused scoff Jaegerjaquez threw at him.

If eyes could speak, Ichigo’s would have pleaded _._

_So? Do something!_

And miraculously enough, Jaegerjaquez seemed to read his expression just fine. He didn’t walk – he strode to Ichigo’s side and squeezed his ass hard right in front of his family like it was nothing.

Ichigo knew he would have blown it if anyone bothered to look at his reaction, but nobody did. His father and sisters seemed just as frozen to their spots as he was.

Isshin especially, stood there for a while before he managed to compose himself.

“So what’s your na--”

“Damn, your sisters’ a hottie too.” Jaegerjaquez leered at Yuzu, and just like that Isshin’s composure collapsed.

Ichigo had to wonder if in the future his fathers heart would collapse, and if it would be because of this very moment. That twitching in the right side of his mouth was not normal.

His son was one thing. But his daughters…

“So I’m starvin’ sweetie. You got somethin’ for me?”

“Y-yes!” Yuzu said, caught off guard by the sudden question. “I made pork with--”

“I’ll eat whatever kid.” Grimmjow said, and without any further words he walked inside the house with his arm still around Ichigo, not even bothering to take off his shoes.

Isshin was oddly quiet. Even when his sisters brought home boyfriends, he always made a point of puffing up and either being obnoxiously over-enthusiastic or act all intimidating. He always seemed to have this penchant to know which technique would scare off a particular boy more effectively.

Now, it seemed like he met his match.

Truthfully, Isshin didn’t know what to do. This was the first time Ichigo brought someone home. It was an important occasion. He _knew_ that if he screwed up, his son would never introduce him to anyone every again, and he didn’t want to take that risk.

But God, that man. He brought a chill down Isshin's spine. Every inch of his paternal instincts was shouting at him to kick him out as soon as possible. And his attitude was horrendous.

But he couldn’t quite take Ichigo to a private room and tell him his boyfriend was bad news, could he? And what if his son was afraid he was homophobic? He looked so scared and heartbroken when he came out of the closet that very morning! It was ridiculous! He would never love his son any less just because of his preferences!

So what if he wouldn’t get grandkids from him? What are potential grandkids next to his own son’s happiness?

But why, of all people, did he have to go for a punk like that?

That man just emanated aggression. He was definitely a dominating presence, and that bothered Isshin beyond words…

God… His poor, innocent, virginal son! No! Perish the thought!

Already in the living room, Ichigo still had Jaegerjaquez’s arm around his waist.

“You’re good at this.” He whispered.

Jaegerjaquez glanced down at him with a blank face that quickly morphed into a grin.

“Thought this would be a bigger challenge.”

“You wanted it to be?” Ichigo asked, tearing away the hand that was still dangerously close to his ass.

“Wanna have my fun with the fam.”

“Yeah?” Ichigo stepped away from that grasp and looked Jaegerjaquez in the eye, dropping his pretense. “Heads up for you Jaegerjaquez, if you actually try anything with my sister you’re dead meat.”

“Hmm? Why, you gonna hurt me?” Grimmjow taunted, looking unconcerned.

“I won’t just hurt you.”

“Babe,” He reached for Ichigo’s shoulders, leaning close enough that Ichigo had to suppress the urge to back away. “I don’t want yer sis. You know I’m all about the gingers.”

Ichigo clenched his jaw, trying not to engage him any further. It was clear though, that Jaegerjaquez wasn’t just intent on tormenting his family, he was going to be a handful for Ichigo too. Just looking at his posture showed it, the hands on his pockets and hunched shoulders, head leaning forward like he was waiting to pounce on his prey, and even the way he touched Ichigo, defying and disguising it as sensual. It was too obvious he had no problem with pushing his limits until the very edge, just to see how far they'd go.

The fact that the more innocent of his two sisters _blushed_ at the treatment he offered her, made his protective older brother’s alarms start blaring. Ichigo wasn't ever like this. It just showed how much Jaegerjaquez was bad news.

The only assurance he allowed himself was that maybe they didn’t have to play their act all that long for it to be effective.

“Ahem.” A small cough broke up the tense moment, and Ichigo reluctantly looked away from his _boyfriend_ to face his sister.

Not Yuzu, Karin.

She stood in the opposite side of the living room with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms, her face showing just how unimpressed she was.

Not just that, though. Being almost the virtual opposite of her twin, Karin was sometimes terrifyingly perceptive.

When he met her eyes, Ichigo _knew_ she wasn’t buying it.

“Lunch is already on the table.” She deadpanned before walking away, leaving Ichigo to look nervously at her retreating back.

“’Kay toots.” Jaegerjaquez replied before looking back at Ichigo. “Yer other sis is cold.”

Ichigo mumbled under his breath.

“Look, Jaegerjaquez...”

“Call me love.” Grimmjow mocked.

“Jaegerjaquez.” Ichigo repeated, firmly. “My father… He has this coming. But my sister… If you could _not_ be too bad on her and just keep her feelings intact, that’d be greatly appreciated.”

“Thought you didn’t want me looking at her?”

“Look--” Ichigo begun, already looking annoyed.

“I’m messin’ with you.” Jaegerjaquez smirked. “She’s too young for me, I just figured it’d be a sure way to piss off your old man.”

Ichigo’s expression softened, as he considered that maybe he was being too unfair on the other.

He asked him to act like a horrible person, what right did he have to complain or be upset when Jaegerjaquez did exactly that?

He nodded, pulling his date to the kitchen and sitting down with his waiting family.

Across the table from him, Jaegerjaquez plopped down on his seat and rested his elbows on the table.

“I know you said anything sounded good, Mr. Jaegerjaquez,” Yuzu said. “But I truly hope you enjoy this meal anyway. It’s my special recipe.”

With a smirk, he leered at her without shame. Next to Ichigo, Karin watched the exchange with a suspicious face. Isshin, on the other hand, looked like he would spontaneously combust any moment. He sat next to Jaegerjaquez, nostrils flaring at the attitude as he filled his glass with water and gulped it down in one go.

“So!” He said out loud, putting on the cheerful facade as much as he could. “Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, was it? How have you and my son met?”

The way Isshin spelled out his name made him sound resentful for not having a formal introduction, but Jaegerjaquez was unaffected by it. He threw Ichigo a smug glance, raising his head with confidence as if to say _leave this to me._ Ichigo almost dreaded what was coming, and with good reason.

“One of those nights, you know?” Jaegerjaquez begun. “To be honest with ya, I took his wallet the day we met. I didn’t even know who I was taking it from, just that suddenly there was this feisty ginger coming after me...”

He actually made a point of looking tenderly at Ichigo, as if he hadn’t just said something very compromising.

“He got me good.” He continued, blue eyes shining in a particularly provocative way, a promise of what was to come. “Tackled me to the ground in an alley, threw a few good punches. Then you know how it goes… With our bodies pressing that way, that anger turned into a different type of heat, and--”

“Dad, could you pass me the water?” Ichigo interrupted before Jaegerjaquez had time to say anything more embarrassing.

Water was the first thing that came to mind, but he might as well drink it from the way he felt his cheeks heat up and redden. Isshin appeared to be having an out of body experience.

Unfortunately for him, Jaegerjaquez was a real professional.

“Sure thing, babe.” He replied, not missing a beat.

For the briefest moment, Ichigo met his eyes with absolute dread. His father let out the most strangled, odd sound he ever heard coming out of that usually boisterous mouth.

Fuck.

Jaegerjaquez was good.

“Thanks, love.” Ichigo said, not quite nailing the acting.

It hardly mattered. Jaegerjaquez was a man who could set the mood on his own. He served himself a full plate of food, and without waiting for anyone else, started devouring it like a famished man.

Ichigo actually found it impressive. That man had no problem in shoving large chunks of food in his mouth and swallowing them hole without bothering himself with chewing. At least he wasn’t insulting the food. Ichigo winced at the sight. It felt like watching a vacuum cleaner cleaning up the plate. The worst that could happen after that is to see him choke on a piece of pork and knock himself out.

Yuzu though. His little sister was looking down at the table with an almost embarrassed smile, as Jaegerjaquez gulfed down her food like it was the best thing he ever ate. Ichigo didn’t want to discredit her cooking skills, but it he was slightly alarmed at how she seemed unaffected by his attitude.

Ichigo didn’t know how to explain it, but it gave him a bad feeling beyond the brotherly concern. Yuzu always had a penchant to search for the best in people, an almost maternal instinct that told her when someone was worth the effort or not.

Now, she was showing glimpses that same sort of affectionate demeanor to someone who was doing his best to be unpleasant.

Ichigo didn’t like it. It felt like something was off, and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He wasn’t given the opportunity to think about it though, as a loud burp broke the tense silence.

Then, Karin started laughing. Out of nowhere, that small giggle that left her lips grew into roaring laughter, as if all of a sudden she was in on the joke.

Maybe she was. Karin always managed to piece things together with relative ease. The action was being very counterproductive to his plans though. Karin was laughing, Yuzu was smiling. The only person in the family who seemed to be having a negative response to Ichigo’s new love interest was his father, and he wasn’t so sure that would be enough if everyone else ended up genuinely liking him.

Even Jaegerjaquez with his amusingly stuffed mouth seemed a bit surprised by it. The thoughts crossing his mind were evident in his eyes as he stared at Ichigo.

_The fuck is wrong with your family?_

Grimmjow never in his life had to work this hard to be disliked. He was starting to wonder what Kurosaki’s problem with bringing dates to his fam was. Neither of them took note of how surprisingly well they communicated just by sharing that one, worried look. They both understood one thing, though.

It was time to bring the big guns.

“Sweetie, this was amazing.” Grimmjow swallowed down and praised Yuzu, whose blush intensified. “Been a while since I ate that well, I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

“Well then!” Isshin popped up after an uncharacteristically silent dinner. “Time to call it a day!”

“Hmmmm” Jaegerjaquez stretched in his seat, undisturbed by the patriarch’s words. “Bae, you haven’t shown me your old room yet.”

The words carried an implication that was way too obvious to not be noticed.

“You wanna stay the night?” Ichigo offered with a frown, and carefully, from the corner of his eye, glanced at his father’s reaction to the proposal. “It’s pretty late.”

It wasn’t.

Isshin was already up, his body frozen in the middle of his farewell. His mouth was pressed into such a thin line it looked like he had no lips, and while Yuzu looked at him with mild confusion, Karin seemed like she could start laughing out loudly again any moment.

To her credit, she didn’t.

“I can’t say no to that.” Jaegerjaquez grinned. “I don’t know about sleeping though.”

Ichigo actually had to suppress a shiver. He offered Jaegerjaquez a strained smile and nodded towards the stairs while excusing himself. He could actually use a break from all the theatrics.

It had been a long night. Effective, but long.

As soon as Ichigo closed his bedroom door, Jaegerjaquez fell down to his bed with a sigh. It was strange. Despite what they just did, he barely knew the guy, and now he was going to have to make conversation with him while in the room that used to be his – where every little object, picture frame or poster was a giveaway into Ichigo's personality and life. It wasn't something he wanted to share with just anybody, especially someone like Jaegerjaquez, who wouldn't pull back his punches.

He was never left alone with him like this, and it made him nervous.

“So.” Jaegerjaquez started. “Where’s your mom?”

There it was. The first question he asked, and it went straight to the danger zone.

“She passed away.” Ichigo explained, not feeling like expanding the topic.

Thankfully, Jaegerjaquez dropped it too.

“I think at least your old man hates me. Not sure about your sisters though, that black haired one looks like she figured it out.”

“Karin. She does.” Ichigo groaned, sitting by his old desk and looking down at Jaegerjaquez, who was still sprawled on his bed.

“And the other one, she looks like she likes me.” Blue eyes looked for brown with ill intent. “Tho I guess that’s not surprising.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Ichigo immediately frowned.

“She looks like a good girl. They like men like me.”

“Jaegerjaquez-” Ichigo started.

“Grimmjow.”

“I told you that if you go after my sister...”

“I didn’t go after her, she fancied me from the start!” Grimmjow accused.

“The hell she did, you probably embarrass her!” Ichigo snapped back with a quiet voice, not wanting to be overheard.

“I embarrass _you._ Not her.” Grimmjow snarled.

Ichigo sighed. It was a useless argument to have, and there was other things to worry himself with, namely what they were going to do now. He didn’t exactly think it through when he asked Grimmjow if he wanted to stay the night.

“So, you’re leaving through the window or do we have to wait until they all fall asleep?” Ichigo asked, only partially joking. “Because I think my father is going to stay up and alert all night.”

“Maybe we should give him something to be alert about.” Grimmjow sat up. “You a good moaner, Kurosaki?”

“Gross!” Ichigo snapped. “We’re not doing _that!”_

“Just faking, Jesus!”

“Not faking that either! My sisters still live here, I’m not going to traumatize them!”

“Traumatize them?” Grimmjow laughed. “You’re a bit like yer old man, aren’t you Kurosaki? You think girls with looks like theirs don’t know all about that already?”

“I'm not saying they don't! Just not with _me_ for fuck's sake."

"Should I be doing the moaning?"

"I'll kick you in the teeth, Jaegerjaquez...”

“Grimmjow.” The rough voice firmly reminded Ichigo, as the man it belonged to stood from the bed and approached him. “And you should think twice about threatening me like that, _babe_ , because I bite back hard.”

Inadvertently, Ichigo backed away from that looming face, and Grimmjow must have taken it as a victory because his lips spread in a wide grin, and he dropped the topic to roam his pant’s pockets.

Ichigo wasn’t easily intimidated. He had his fair chair of bullies and fights because through some bizarre genetic anomaly he ended up having naturally orange hair. That and a name like _Ichigo_ never quite did him any favors, no matter how often he went out of his way to explain meanings and why none of it was his fault. But something bothered him about Grimmjow. He frowned as he saw aforementioned man pulling out a cigarette box and a lighter from his pockets.

“Hey, you’re not going to smoke in my room, are you?”

“Yeah?” Grimmjow raised his thin eyebrow, placing the thing on his lips and lighting the end.

“Is that a joint?” Ichigo moved his neck to see better, but the grin his question received was enough of a confirmation. “Oh hell no.”

“You brought me here so I could piss off your dad, I think this is part of our agreement.”

“No way I’m going to stay here and absorb that smell. You open the window and smoke outside.”

Rolling his eyes and groaning, Grimmjow surprisingly did as he was told and moved towards the window.

With a cat-like graciousness, he sat onto the roof directly in front of him and took a deep drag, basking in the moonlight.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo glanced at the glowing screen of his phone, noticing he got a new message from Tatsuki, the instigator of all of this mess who probably wanted to know how it went. Honestly, he didn’t even know what to answer her. He turned back to Grimmjow, who had his head turned up to the sky, but his eyes closed to the lack of stars.

He almost looked peaceful during his little break.

“You never answered me though.” Ichigo said as Grimmjow exhaled a twirling cloud of smoke.

“Answered what?”

“How you’re going to leave.” Ichigo looked away before the blue eyes opened and managed to find his. “I mean, if we want to make the plan work.”

“I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

“What?” Brown met azure.

Grimmjow left the unfinished joint at the roof and fell down through the window and onto the bed right next to it, stretching his arms and body.

“This is a nice bed, I’m not leaving it.”

“The hell you are, I’m not sleeping with you!”

“Stay on the floor then.” Grimmjow closed his eyes.

“It’s my bed, if anyone has to stay on the floor, it’s you.”

“Fuck you, Kurosaki!” He opened them again with an angry scowl, twisting himself to lay on his stomach. “You paid me twenty measly dollars for this. I am keeping the bed.”

Ichigo groaned, but didn’t argue against that reasoning.

“At least take off your jacket and boots, you reek of pot.”

“Ngh...” Grimmjow groaned, moving his large legs to kick off his footwear without bothering to untie it. “You wanna give me a hand, Kurosaki?”

“Just get up and do it yourself.” Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

“You sure?” Grimmjow smirked, moving just enough that he could struggle his jacket off and toss it at the floor. “You can take off the rest if you want...”

“Gross.” Ichigo’s lip curled in distaste.

“And anyway,” Grimmjow turned on his side to face the other. “Your dad didn’t seem _that_ overbearing. I think maybe you just fancy me and came up with this stupid idea to court me.”

“Ugh!” Ichigo groaned again, getting aggravated. “Probably my father just met his match. And trust me, I’d rather you be far away right now.”

Grimmjow actually snarled at those words.

“Like you’re such a fucking prize...” Grimmjow turned back around to face the window and showed Ichigo his back.

From the desk, Ichigo actually thought over his words. Did Jaegerjaquez just sulk at him???

With an uneasy look in his eyes, he tried for a peace offering.

“Sorry.” He mumbled. “I mean, you are attractive and all, and I’m sure you have that bad boy appeal to charm your way onto anyone’s pants or whatever. I just don’t swing that way.”

Grimmjow peeked through his shoulder with a condescending look.

“Go on?” He said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“What, you want an ego massage now?”

The grin was back in Grimmjow’s face.

“Well you were doing so well… Almost as if… You do swing that way.”

“I don’t swing that way.” Ichigo quickly defended.

“Hm hm.”

“I dated a lot of girls. And I enjoyed it.”

“Many gay men did.”

“I am _definitely_ not gay!”

“Orange hair… fruity name...”

“None of that is my fault!”

“Pretty sure you can swing both ways too, ya know?”

“Grimmjow--”

“Haven’t you ever experimented?”

“No.”

“You wanna?”

“Fuck no, not with you!”

“Who said _I_ was offering?” Grimmjow scoffed.

Another small silence followed before Ichigo let out an unequivocally annoyed sigh and threw the first thing he reached for – a small eraser on the top of his old desk – straight at Grimmjow’s head.

“You dipshit!” The other man cussed, bringing just a little bit of satisfaction with it.

“Weren’t you going to sleep now?” Ichigo asked.

“You’re lucky I had the good stuff with me.” Grimmjow mumbled, before laying his head back down on the pillow. “Tomorrow I won’t be in such a good mood.”

Ichigo leaned his elbow on the desk, his hand supporting his head as he sighed one more time.

It was going to be a long night.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your kind reviews, closetfanperson, Kishire, HamletMouse, and Black_Storm!!! I’m very glad you liked it so far, and I hope you keep having fun reading this new chapter :D

 

Ichigo always had this perception that there was no place quite like his old room. Although he loved his own apartment and wouldn’t change it for the world, there was something very cozy about visiting his father’s house and checking in what used to be his little sanctuary.

He spent so many hours in there, reading, studying, playing video games, hiding his high school friends in his closet (don’t ask), brooding (don’t tell), and other typical teenage boy things (just don’t).

Not going to specifics, it was _his_ room. _His._ And it was annoying that he had such a rough night’s sleep inside those nostalgic four walls.

Jaegerjaquez passed out fairly quickly, maybe still tired from the previous night’s partying. God knows how he spent the entirety of it – Ichigo had only been there at the very exhausted ending, and even that had been a wild ride.

On his side, Ichigo was feeling pretty tired too. He spent a few hours messaging his friends over the phone and updating them on their not-so-carefully concocted plan before the call of sleep became way too strong. Then, he had to make a difficult decision.

Grimmjow was still in a deep slumber when he tried to wake him up, and after some time it became apparent the tall man wasn’t going anywhere. Ichigo could either really sleep on the floor, or on the empty side of the small bed.

He hated the idea of doing that like they were two twelve year old girls having a sleepover, but the impending back pains from staying on the floor were even less appealing. He was a nurse. He already felt like an ironing board eighty percent of the time.

And he was totally not affected by Grimmjow’s attacks on his sexuality. Why should he be?

Ichigo glanced hesitantly at the broad back of the man laying on his bed, and reluctantly sat down on it.

The most positive prospects were that Jaegerjaquez would wake up and leave the house quietly. The worst were being murdered during his sleep. Reality was probably set between those two extremes.

With a resigned exhale, Ichigo laid down.

Sleep was hard to come by though. Without even going into the discomfort of sharing a his teenage shelter with a stranger, or the hyper awareness of his guest’s body, he was finding the whole thing plain annoying. Jaegerjaquez hogged the blankets no matter how much Ichigo fought back, and even unconscious, his large frame kept pushing him towards the very edge of the bed.

After long hours, he finally managed to fall asleep, and he woke up too early in the morning feeling weirdly enclosed.

His consciousness wasn’t fully there yet, and he tried to build up his perceptions to figure out what exactly was off.

Enclosed, yes, he was. By something hard around his waist that pulled his hips closed to another large mass of comfortable heat.

Comfortable heat. He didn’t mind that. There was something wet on the back off his neck though...

After those few dazed seconds, he was jumping up from the bed and scrubbing the other’s droll off his skin.

Then, and only then did Grimmjow’s eyes flutter back open.

“Fuck’s wrong with you?” He asked in a rough, sleepy voice, as if Ichigo was the one disturbing his routine.

“Ever heard of personal space?!” Ichigo snapped, only getting a confused look from Grimmjow. “I’m not a pillow!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You were all over me just now.” He frowned.

“I was probably trying to strangle you.” Grimmjow mumbled before burying his face face back in the sheets.

“Yeah, that’s exactly the right thing to say.” Ichigo remarked, already feeling the cold of Autumn hitting his skin.

It only made his embarrassingly warm face harder to ignore. Thankfully, the room was still dark from the drawn curtains. The last thing he wanted to do to start the day was endure another round of teasing from that guy.

God, he even smelled like him now. How many hours did he stay like that?

And it wasn’t a pleasant smell either. A mix of sweat, alcohol and tobacco smoke (among other things’) clung to him like he’d been partying all night.

He went out of the room and to the bathroom, and jumped into a hot shower without saying another word. Ichigo was resolute in not thinking about how he woke up surprisingly comfortable in someone’s arms. Especially someone like Jaegerjaquez. The fact he was a man was honestly secondary to all his other attributes. If anyone was to ever make Ichigo question his sexuality, it wasn’t going to be that idiot.

Last night he actually told his friends Grimmjow sneaked out, and even then they joked about him staying the night. If Tatsuki ever knew the truth, she would be relentless.

And Ishida… Ugh. Just imagining the attitude made him grumpy.

Nope, this would have to be his little secret.

Still on his room, Grimmjow sat up on the bed, cursing Kurosaki for waking up so early.

He was always used to getting up at the first rays of sunlight, and it had been a long time since he slept past seven on such a comfortable bed. Still, his mood brightened as soon as the smell of breakfast hit him.

Grimmjow wasn’t quite sure what type of baked good was being cooked, but its scent permeated the house. His stomach rumbled in anticipation as he stood up and walked out of the room, remembering the previous night’s meal.

Kurosaki’s sister really did have a talent with food, and he walked into the kitchen to have his suspicions confirmed. It was that girl’s doing alright.

“What are you cooking?” He asked in a throaty, tired voice.

Yuzu actually jumped when she heard it, letting out an embarrassed giggle when she realized it was just him.

Like he wasn’t a stranger.

“I always bake a cake on Sundays. Please sit down! What do you want for breakfast?” She turned to him beaming and with pleasant smile on her lips.

Grimmjow was not used to this type of treatment. He sat down by the table as he was told, unsure of how to react to such a foreign situation. This girl was being nice to him. He couldn’t really wrap his head around it, especially when he’d made his best effort to be a family nightmare the previous night.

Maybe she was just socially clueless? Maybe she actually fancied him. That would be a fun way to torment Kurosaki _and_ his old man. Talk about killing two rabbits with one stone.

“Hm...” He hesitated when he noticed her waiting for a response, but no intelligible words were coming out. Despite the bravado, he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to play a nice kid around like that.

“I can make you coffee or tea. Maybe milk?” Yuzu suggested.

“Coffee would be nice.” He settled.

“Coffee it is then.” She smiled, heading to the faucet and pausing before turning it on. “Oh, just a minute! Brother is having a shower.”

Grimmjow lifted a thin eyebrow, and she cheaply explained.

“When I turn the water on here, he gets hit by scalding water.”

“Oh.”

If Grimmjow was a cat, his ears would have perked up. As a mere human, his face remained almost impassive with the exception of a mischievous glow in his eyes.

“Did you sleep on your clothes from yesterday?” Yuzu suddenly frowned.

Grimmjow glanced at himself for the first time that day. His shirt was crumpled and creased, making it pretty obvious he spent the whole night in it. The old jeans he was also wearing were slightly more subtle in their disarray.

He should have thought of that before going downstairs. Walking down naked would have made a much better impact.

“I can’t believe Ichigo didn’t lend you some pajamas.” She looked almost disappointed. “I’ll get you some new clothes quickly.”

“Ah, it’s alright--”

“Don’t worry, you can just give them back the next time you come over.” Yuzu smiled.

God damn it.

Grimmjow was pretty sure he was never coming over again. Their deal was one day – as far as he was concerned, Kurosaki was going to have to pay him extra for the morning after theatrics too. So far, the rest of the family hadn’t shown up yet, but it was only a matter of time, he was sure of it.

He didn’t allow himself to think about that, though. As soon as Yuzu walked out of the room, his eyes fell on the facet.

Quietly, he stood from his seat and walked to the balcony, turning the water on for the briefest of moments.

Then he smirked.

A loud cry came from the bathroom upstairs.

 

* * *

 

Isshin woke up late, to his son’s anguished scream.

Truthfully, he wasn’t quite sure how he managed to fall asleep in the first place, knowing _that man_ was also resting under his roof. He took a big breath as he stood up. Resting. Yes, that was all he and his son did – rest, quietly and peacefully in their room, preserving the childhood memories it carried completely intact and uncorrupted.

Just the thought that anything other than that might have happened gave him a nice insomnia. Isshin never expected this would be something he’d get to worry about regarding his _son._ His daughters? Yes, absolutely. He was already overprotective of them even when they were little girls and afraid of cooties. He knew how boys could be, he’d been there once and he knew first hand that they only had a couple of things in their minds.

A _couple_ wasn’t a figure of speech either. He wasn’t exactly sure what went through the mind of a gay man that could be comparable – and he’d rather not think about it either, thank you very much – but he knew that Jaegerjaquez wasn’t to be trusted.

Ichigo might have been stubborn and sometimes borderline cold, but he was a world apart from the delinquent he brought home last night. He was a good kid. Isshin ought to know, he raised him, and it wasn’t right that he’d look for love in a person who obviously had no concept of what was appropriate.

“Agh, Grimmjow!”

The cry that echoed in the hallway almost brought Isshin to his knees.

What was his precious son doing, loudly crying another man’s name in the shower???

It was only when an unfamiliar cackle came from downstairs that he picked himself back up.

Quietly, he walked down, still in his pajamas and disheveled hair, and peered into the kitchen, where Jaegerjaquez was turning the faucet on and off with cruel glee.

“Good morning.” He ventured, twisting his face into a displeased scowl that never failed to make lesser boyfriends cower. “Mistreating my boy, are you?”

For a second, Isshin got the pleasure of seeing Jaegerjaquez jump in surprise and look wearily at him, knowing he was caught doing something he shouldn’t be. It was a very short lived satisfaction, however.

“Hm, your son needs some punishing.” Grimmjow collected himself to throw him a smug, hooded look. “Hes’ been a bad boy.”

A large fist clenched, and Grimmjow’s smile only seemed to grow more amused when the older man’s nostrils flared.

“Ah, the one who imposes discipline in this house is me!” Isshin exhaled loudly, voice blaring through the kitchen.

He wanted nothing more than to kick that vile man out of the window, but something stopped him from doing so against his own wishes. That was his son’s boyfriend. The only person he ever brought home.

If he got so offended at such a little statement, Ichigo would never include him in his life again.

Isshin took a deep breath, and spoke again in a much calmer voice.

“But of course, I forgive you. I know what’s happening, shame on my son for not being around to prepare our guest some breakfast! I did not raise my boy like this. What will you have?”

He glanced at Grimmjow and stopped in his tracks when he saw the boy look almost shocked. Even though he always seemed to have an infuriating answer on the tip of his tongue, he seemed almost lost, not knowing what to say.

Isshin couldn’t help himself. He raised an eyebrow at the strange reaction.

“Are you alright?”

Grimmjow closed his mouth, and opened it again with a new look on his eyes – as though he finally decided on something to say.

He didn’t get to speak though, as Ichigo walked into the kitchen, fully dressed, with his hair dripping wet and with a glare that could kill.

“Grimmjow! Who told you about the faucet?” He snapped, letting his eyes fall on his father.

“Ichigo!” Isshin loudly protested. “Is this any way to begin the day? Leaving your guest to wander by himself, scavenging for food?”

Grimmjow twisted his nose at the words.

“Eh? He was still sleeping when I went to the shower.” Ichigo spat out, before fixing his glare back on Grimmjow.

However, he was interrupted before he got to ask why his partner in crime decided to boil his skin off first thing in the morning.

“Ichigo!” Another voice called out. A feminine, gentle but firm one.

Yuzu walked in with a disproving look as well, carrying a shirt and sweatpants in her arms.

“Did you forget to lend Grimmjow some clothes?” She berated.

Ichigo looked almost lost, looking from Yuzu, to his father, to his pretend-boyfriend and trying to put the pieces together.

 _It’s too early for this_ , his mind conjured in the middle of his confusion.

“Berry.” Grimmjow interrupted the brief silence with a new, mocking nick-name. “I need to talk to you.”

“Right...” Ichigo offered his disapproving family one last, uneasy look, before he gestured towards the living room and headed there, quickly followed by Grimmjow.

He must have entered the Twilight Zone that morning, because the last thing he was expecting was for his old man and his sister to start the day by lecturing him on how to treat guests...

Especially a guest like Grimmjow, who took joy in being an ass. He could still feel his back overheated from his shower.

“You ass, you could have seriously burned me!” He turned to Grimmjow with a snarl once they were out of ears’ reach.

“Shouldn’t leave your guest by himself. Bad boyfriend...” Grimmjow taunted, unable to hide his smirk.

“What the hell was that, anyway?” Ichigo lowered his voice, approaching him as his eyes glanced to the kitchen door to make sure his father and sister wouldn’t hear them. “I’m not paying you to have my family like you!”

“Actually I wanted to talk to you about that. This morning after shit… those twenty dollars won’t cover it.”

“Well, you’re doing such a lousy job I might want my money back!” Ichigo accused.

“The fuck you do. I’m doing my best, alright? It’s not my fault your fam’s a bunch of weirdoes!” Grimmjow snapped back.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re doing, but cut it out…” Ichigo quietly groaned. “Can’t you just be unpleasant?”

“I am being pretty fucking unpleasant.” Grimmjow all but spat out every word, getting all too close to his face. Then he twisted his lips into a smug smirk. “Guess I just have that animal magnetism.”

“Animal magnetism. Right.” Ichigo stayed in place and only tilted his head, unimpressed.

“Ask your sister about it.”

“See,” Ichigo bit his lip at the provocation. “This is why I don’t trust you, there’s no way you’re talking to them like you’re talking to me.”

“Yeah? Well I am, and I don’t know what your fucking issue with them is.” Grimmjow snapped. “I’m being an ass and they’re still offering me breakfast, so maybe the attitude problem isn’t theirs.”

Ichigo chewed on his lip again, and Grimmjow’s eyes darted down to the tender flesh. Only then did they both realize how close to each other they were.

Both took an awkward step back, eyes drifting to the ground for a brief moment.

Ichigo didn’t know why his father suddenly started acting civil. Even with just his friends he always was an embarrassing kind of parent. No matter how much Ichigo reprimanded him for it, he never hesitated to trap his guests into a headlock and test their boundaries.

Now he was standing up for Grimmjow? His expression turned downcast, as he thought maybe his dad was making an effort for him after all, that maybe he grossly miscalculated.

“This was a bad idea.” Ichigo murmured.

“You’re still going to pay me for this morning.”

Before Ichigo could protest, a new voice interrupted them.

“Is that so?”

Grimmjow and Ichigo were both caught by surprise when they turned around to find Ichigo’s other sister, Karin, standing by the hallway door with a smirk and arms crossed.

“Karin...” Ichigo murmured, wide eyed and caught off guard.

“I thought something was off in here.” She smiled, looking amused despite it all. “Your boyfriend was honestly too bad to be true.”

“See, she thinks I’m doing well.” Grimmjow snorted.

“Shut up.” Ichigo frowned.

Karin let her hands fall to her waist.

“I’m surprised dad and Yuzu didn’t catch up to it right away.” She continued. “Though probably I shouldn’t be.”

“Yeah well… There goes the plan.” Ichigo waved his arms before letting them fall to his side. “It was a stupid idea anyway.”

“Yep.” Karin raised an eyebrow. “Were you drinking when you came up with it?”

Ichigo’s eyes shifted away with incriminating embarrassment.

“Brother...” Her hand reached for her forehead, and her shoulders slightly shook with quiet laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, I know...” Ichigo muttered. “I feel humiliated enough as it is, so there’s my punishment.”

“That’s not my problem.” Grimmjow grunted. “So what it is, Kurosaki? You pay me or I’m out of here.”

“I’m not paying you, just get out.”

“Why not?” Karin interrupted them, still smirking. “You’re giving up so easily?”

Ichigo turned back at her, having been half resigned to an impending and awkward conversation with his family. The two seconds it took for him to let her words sink in were not long enough to form a coherent response. As such, he only made a disbelieving noise at the back of his throat.

“Eh?”

“You can’t seriously think dad likes him.” She continued, nodding at Grimmjow. “And Yuzu might be nice, but she’s not the one you have a problem with, is she? You just want to get him off your back in the future.”

“You said it yourself, it was a stupid idea.” Ichigo muttered.

“You can still make it work. You’re doing fine, Jaegerjaquez.” Karin smirked at her brother’s guest. “But Rome wasn’t build in a day.”

“You seriously just made that comparison?”

“Let your sister talk, Kurosaki. I like where it’s headed.” Grimmjow grinned.

“Well I don’t.” Ichigo protested.

“Come on, brother.” She insisted, with a strange glow in her eyes. “You don’t actually expect to bring this guy over once and convince dad you were serious about it. Just three or four days more and you’ll be set for life.”

“Why are you being so pushy?” He frowned again.

Ichigo might have not been the most perceptive person out there, but his sister was up to something. He could almost taste it.

“Three days will be sixty.” Grimmjow interrupted.

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest, but Karin spoke ahead of him.

“Forty.”

“Hey-” He started.

“Sixty.”

“Forty-five.”

“I’m not paying to have him-”

“Fifty.” Grimmjow groaned with annoyance. “And no less than that.”

“Deal.”

“Hey!” Ichigo snapped. “Unless you’re paying yourself, Karin, don’t just make deals like that for me!”

“Honestly, if you tell dad the truth now, you’ll just break his heart.” Her words made Ichigo deflate.

It was always a good idea to appeal to his kindness – even if he did come up with a borderline cruel idea like that to get back at his old man. He didn’t actually want to hurt his father’s feelings.

He rubbed his forehead, already feeling another headache coming. His sister was becoming dangerously similar to Tatsuki with all that persuasion. Ichigo opened an eye to peer at her, still unconvinced by her reasoning. Karin probably wouldn’t get a kick out of it the same way his friends did, but she was obviously not being one hundred percent honest, if her amused look meant anything.

Made sense, actually. If his dad got frustrated enough with it, it’d end up being good for her relationships too.

“So your idea is three more days, and then what?” He finally said.

“Then you break up and go your merry way.” Karin settled.

Ichigo glanced at Grimmjow, who looked at his nails with an almost bored expression. Three whole days might not have been much, but he was sure spending all those hours with Grimmjow was bound to drive him a bit crazy.

Like that wasn’t bad enough by itself, he actually had to pay for them.

He sighed. “Too late to back down now…”

All things considered. He might have preferred that to admitting his cheap trick.

“So it’s settled.” Grimmjow’s loud voice brought the sibling’s attentions back to him. He swung an arm around Ichigo’s shoulders and drew him close. “I’m hungry, and done talking. Ah, and Kurosaki, this isn’t included in the three days bargain.”

“Bargain? More like rip off.” Ichigo scoffed as Grimmjow walked them both back to the kitchen. “You’re pushing your luck...”

“Your sisters are so much better than you, Kurosaki.” Grimmjow murmured to his ear, making Ichigo wince.

“Christ, Grimmjow, do you eat cigarettes? Go shower...”

Karin was left behind, quietly watching them walk away. There was a small smirk on her lips as she crossed her arms, snorting at how slow her older brother could be whenever sparks flew.

Hopefully, those three extra days would give him a hand.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you checked Tite Kubo's twitter today? :) Even our favourite cat got a pic.

 

 

Isshin was not having a good weekend, and he could blame it all on one single person.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

There were a few brief minutes during the morning, in which he allowed himself some hope that his son would perhaps put that delinquent in order by himself. Ichigo always had a strong presence, just like his old man, if he could say so himself, so despite the previous night’s alarm, he thought that maybe his son could wear the pants in the relationship after all.

Didn’t the orderly ones always do?

Not that both of them weren’t wearing pants! Of course not! He didn’t have to read through that “ _what not to tell your gay son_ ” article to know that! They were both men, and therefore perfectly capable of wearing their own pants. Unless they were getting into each other pant’s figuratively speaking.

 _No_ , Isshin stopped himself. _Let’s not allow thoughts to go that way._

_Pants. Men wear pants. Most times. Doesn’t matter. Enough pant talk!_

God, he didn’t want to be the insensitive, old-minded father!

“Go shower before you have breakfast. We can see if my clothes fit you.” Ichigo had told his boyfriend, in a tone that wasn’t unfamiliar to Isshin.

It was the man-of-the-relationship tone, the assertive order of the person in charge. His wife, Masaki, used to talk like that too, which brought up a bittersweet nostalgia. Isshin felt softly reassured by it, knowing it was a sign his son had things under control.

But those “hopes” of his were wiped into thin air as soon as Jaegerjaquez returned from his cleaning just ten short minutes later.

“Babe, you got some spare underwear?” That rough voice returned to the kitchen just as his daughter took the cake off the oven. “I mean, I can just freeball, but still.”

The cake pan made a loud noise as Yuzu dropped it the short distance between the oven and the floor.

That man - no, that devil - just walked in like he owned the house, completely naked save for a much too short towel around his waist.

Actually, he didn’t just walk. He _paraded_ , like that little stunt was deliberate.

As if he had any right to corrupt his beautiful daughters by showing off his admittedly fit body like an adult film star inside his peaceful and untouched family home!

At the back of his mind, Isshin thought maybe his head would burst. But that was just a minor observation as most of his brain was going straight into override.

Ichigo looked just as shocked for a second there, but as quickly as it was shown, it ended.

“So freeball then.” His son replied.

 

* * *

 

 

The world fell apart with just that simple interaction. Now he was knocking on Urahara Kisuke’s door, needing to vent all his frustrations to his oldest friend.

The quaint little shop’s door open to reveal its owner, a shaggy looking blond man with a permanent morning scruff and an equally permanent cheery disposition.

“Well hello Ish--”

No time for greetings, Isshin had already decided. He walked past Urahara and through the door, and like a broken pipe started spitting out his distress.

"Hey, hey, calm down!” His friend urged him, patting him in the back when Isshin started gasping for air again.

“You don’t understand, Kisuke! It’s everything I never wanted!” He said, with a face of dismay.

It was an expression that lost resonance when the person wearing it was always so… over the top.

“Hey now, start over.” The shop owner looked impassive as usual, sitting Isshin down and heading straight for his already steaming kettle. Rants like that were a common occurrence. “I won’t understand anything if you just start rambling like that.”

“I told you Ichigo was bringing home a boyfriend.” Isshin started, just a bit calmer as Urahara poured him some tea on a small cup.

“Ah yes, how did that go?” The amusement was almost tangible in his voice, but he hid his smile away behind a small hand-fan.

“Awful! Kisuke, I don’t know what Ichigo sees in that man!”

“How come?”

“His personality is just… the worst! He has no manners, no sense of decency!”

“Hm, is he good looking?”

Isshin paused at the question for a moment.

“He cleans up rather nicely.” He admitted.

“Well, there you have it.” Urahara stated, like that was the answer to everything.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Isshin prodded.

“Your son wants to have some fun with a handsome guy. I’m sure it won’t last that long.”

“Kisuke!” Isshin snapped. “You don’t get it, Ichigo never brings anyone home! He wouldn’t have brought him either if it wasn’t serious!”

Urahara lifted an eyebrow playfully.

“But haven’t you been telling him to introduce his girlfri--”

“He’s dating a boy! If this Jaegerjaquez man wasn’t someone he cared for, he would have stayed in the closet longer!”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works...”

“But I don’t have a problem with what gender he dates, it’s just...” Isshin paused, not knowing how to explain his feelings properly. “I feel like no matter how I describe him to you, you’d just have to see the real deal.”

Urahara closed his hand-fan, tapping it on his chin thoughtfully.

“Well, I actually need a new employee for this shop. Jinta and Ururu have both gone off to University, it’s getting a bit work loaded around here...”

“No, trust me Kisuke. You don’t want that man near this place. He’d probably just rob you and vanish.” Isshin paused again, remembering something. “Ah! He actually stole Ichigo’s wallet! That’s how they met!”

“That’s quite the story to tell the kids.” Urahara chuckled as he poured himself some tea and sat down with Isshin.

“Don’t even joke about that!” The worn out father looked almost alarmed at the prospect. “I don’t think I’d be able to handle it if this becomes permanent.”

“Ichigo is still young, Isshin. Calm down.”

“He’s not that young.” Isshin frowned. “I was already married and with kids at his age.”

“Well times change.” Urahara took a sip of his drink. “And what did this boy do that left you so shaken up, anyway?”

That was the question that broke the damn.

Every dirty innuendo, every disguised insult, every disturbing and suggestive comment towards his daughter – his daughter! - that he’d been holding onto since the previous night, came back out at an inglorious speed.

For Urahara, it was almost like a soap opera unfolding right before his very eyes. Little by little he refilled his tea and heard the story with curiosity, but Isshin barely noticed his friend’s amusement.

He was too worried sharing everything with outrage until he burned out completely.

“And the worst part is that his shamelessness is contagious!” Urahara raised an eyebrow at Isshin’s dismay. “Ichigo acts like he just doesn’t care, he actually encourages it!”

“That doesn’t sound like him.” Urahara nodded.

“It doesn’t. Jaegerjaquez is a bad influence.”

“Well...” The shop owner stood back up, picking up their now empty cups. Isshin had swallowed down his drink in a single rushed gulp. “Maybe Ichigo could be a good influence on that boy too.”

“Eh?”

Urahara smirked at the reaction, a thought popping into his mind.

“Has this Jaegerjaquez mentioned his family or anything?”

“No, he just… It’s like he didn’t say a word unless it was provocative.”

“You know, Isshin, sometimes problematic kids come from problematic places.” Urahara mused, glancing at the other man to study his reaction. “If Ichigo really likes him, maybe you should give him some time to get used to a new family.”

Isshin looked at his friend like he grew two heads, but slowly he seemed to contemplate those words.

Urahara's lips twitched. An awful boyfriend, too awful to be true, and whose single goal was to drive Isshin to the wall while his son impassively watched. The whole situation was looking pretty obvious to him. It was, after all, an old dating cliché: overbearing father gets introduced to the most obnoxious boy their kid could find. He knew Isshin could be a bit persistent sometimes, but it was still funny how he actually drove a level-headed kid like Ichigo to do something like this.

He couldn’t bring himself to suggest that to his old friend though. It was just too entertaining for the time being, and truth be told, he knew Isshin could act like a handful when it came to his children. It probably wasn't an uncalled for lesson for him.

Isshin sighed.

“You’re right. And now that you mention it, there were a few times where Jaegerjaquez seemed almost caught off guard.... Like he was expecting us to yell at him instead of… Well, treating him decently.”

Urahara shook his head. Isshin could be so perceptive, and still let the bigger scheme fly right past him.

“Maybe I can change him.” He continued. The shop keeper almost choked at the words. “Show that boy what a proper family looks like.”

“Hm, it was just an assumption though.” Urahara started, but wasn’t given time to finish.

“I will do this, Kisuke. My son finally brought someone home, and sure, he might be rude and improper, but… “Isshin took a deep, resolved breath. “He’s my boy’s boy. If this is who he chooses, then I won’t be the one making things sour!”

Urahara could only smile.

 

* * *

 

“So, your dad actually liked him.”

Tatsuki seemed blown away by the news, but no less entertained.

The days went by until it was time for them to meet up at their usual bar again and unwind. For one, Ichigo felt a bit too exhausted to talk about his regrettable fake boyfriend scheme, but even saying it out loud didn’t stop his friends from prying.

Even Ishida, who also worked at the hospital and knew what the workload of their jobs was like, didn’t seem to have any sympathy for him.

“Figures you’d even screw up something like this.” He muttered with his typical air of superiority.

“Yeah? Why the hell are you still gossiping then?” Ichigo snapped. “Wasn’t this talk _beneath you_ five minutes ago?”

“It still is, but I’m already having drinks with you, so how much lower can I drop?” Ishida didn’t miss a beat.

Ichigo opened his mouth with a comeback on the tip of his tongue, but Orihime interrupted their typical argument with more questions he didn’t feel like answering.

“But how come?” She almost stuttered, not wanting to admit Jaegerjaquez was – for lack of a better description – an obvious ass. “Didn’t he… well...”

“I don’t get it either.” Ichigo sighed, leaning back on his seat and closing his eyes. “I saw first hand how he was. And when I didn’t, he was still being an ass and turning the kitchen faucet on and off while I showered.”

Orihime threw him a questioning look, and Tatsuki enlightened her.

“His water system sucks. He gets scalded if you do that.”

Ichigo gritted his back teeth together. Yeah, Tatsuki would know that – ever since they were kids actually.

“Well,” Orihime continued. “How did he manage to get back inside without being noticed?”

Ichigo actually blanked for a second. He nearly forgot that he told them all Grimmjow sneaked out of the house after dinner. It was an almost imperceptible hesitation, but Chad was onto it like a quiet hawk. As Ichigo noticed his friend looking at him like he could read his mind, his brain rushed towards another lie.

“Through the window.” He blurted out, looking away from Chad, who was now smiling.

“Awww,” Tatsuki cooed. “It’s like a bad teen-flick. Getting inside via window.”

“Shut it.” Ichigo mumbled.

Her eyes glanced past him for a moment, before meeting his with mischief.

“Sneaking in even with dad’s approval. And they say romance is dead.” She kept teasing.

“Ha ha.” He frowned harder, taking another sip from his drink and hoping the conversation would end there.

Ichigo wasn’t about to be that lucky though..

“I get it Ichigo. Sometimes it’s hard to be apart.” As Tatsuki said those words, Orihime, Chad and Isshida all seemed to catch something in the other side of the bar, and straightened on their chairs with expectancy.

Orihime especially had an innocent face she had no right wearing on a bar night like that.

Ichigo turned around on his seat, and then he realized what the taunts and reactions were about.

Like a beacon in the distance, Grimmjow’s blue hair was commanding everyone’s attention by the bar counter.

Swiftly, he turned back around to face his friends, red faced and with his lips tightly pressed.

“Give me a break!” He finally said, annoyed.

“Shouldn’t you be planning your next day together?” Tatsuki teased.

“You’re so hilarious tonight, I don’t know why I’m not laughing.”

“Anyway,” She ignored his remark. “You should go there. It’s your turn to get the drinks.”

“Your glass is still full.” Ichigo pointed out.

Making a statement, Tatuski grabbed her glass and with no concern for herself or for her alcoholic intake capacity, swallowed down the whole content in measly seconds, before smacking it back on the table with a satisfied smirk.

“...Seriously?” Ichigo murmured, unable to disguise that he was actually impressed.

Impressed and worried, because that was no light beverage.

“Go get me another.” Tatsuki ordered, looking just a bit sorry for her stunt.

“With those drinking habits, maybe you shouldn’t have any more.” Ichigo snorted, receiving a swift kick to his leg in return. “Ow!”

“Go there!

“What the hell am I supposed to say to him anyway!” He protested.

“Just say hi!” Tatsuki kicked him again. “You two aren’t done just yet anyway.”

Begrudgingly, Ichigo stood up with gritted teeth and a displeased face, but walked towards the other man anyway.

With renewed interest, Tatsuki leaned her shoulders on the table they sat by and watched closely, face in her hands.

“You’re looking pretty interested.” Isshida commented, and she glanced at him in acknowledgment.

Hell yeah she was. She noticed the way Ichigo blushed when she pried too much, and how he deliberately tried to avoid the subject and talk about everything else – even the damned weather. Ichigo was uncomfortable, but he wasn’t telling the whole truth either. His family actually liking Jaegerjaquez was just the cherry on top of the bizarre cake.

She wasn’t planning on setting him up with anyone, much less a guy like Jaegerjaquez, but maybe Ichigo was falling into his own ploy. That could be either very bad, or…

 

Ichigo approached Grimmjow with visible unease. He knew he wasn’t being subtle about it either, so he shook his shoulders, trying to brush away that strange nervousness, and walked to his partner in crime.

Grimmjow was sitting alone, not looking fully intoxicated just yet – but definitely on the way there. Something else caught his eye though.

“You’re still wearing my shirt?” Ichigo frowned as he noticed Grimmjow’s apparel. Same pants as before, same jacket as before, same boots… as if he didn’t have a closet of his own.

That shirt Ichigo lent him was the only thing that changed since their first meeting.

Grimmjow looked caught off guard by the brash greeting, but his eyes quickly shifted from surprise to annoyance. Someone was in a bad mood...

“Yeah, problem?” Grimmjow all but snarled.

“When are you planning on giving it back?”

Truthfully, Ichigo didn’t really care. He could live without a shirt, but Grimmjow’s weirdly defensive attitude was rubbing him off the wrong way, so he felt like he was owed being a little irritating too.

“What, you want me to strip now and give it to you?” Grimmjow bared his teeth. “I didn’t notice it was your shirt, get off my back.”

Ichigo scoffed, but didn’t press the subject. Not like it mattered, because Grimmjow was perfectly fine with expanding the argument by himself.

“Besides, it suits me better anyway.” He added.

“It’ll be four dollars.” The barman said as he handed out the drink, interrupting their pseudo-discussion.

Grimmjow pulled out a worn looking wallet and rummaged through his pennies for a while before he pressed his lips tightly together.

Ichigo was silently watching him, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the wild haired man. Yet, Grimmjow worked hard to ignore him before dumping the contents of his wallet on the bar.

“I only got this.”

“The price hasn’t changed.” The barman said in a monotone voice.

“Who the fuck charges four dollars for a beer?” Grimmjow grew agitated, and his posture changed to an aggressive one, like he wanted to pounce on the man any moment.

Ichigo sighed and dug his own wallet for the money.

“There.” He offered the barman, who quietly took it and moved on.

He’d rather pay for it himself than watching another fight unravel in front of his eyes. He knew Grimmjow wouldn’t appreciate the gesture though. He didn’t know the man that well, but he could bet it’d be taken as condescending already.

True to his assumptions, when he finally looked back at Grimmjow, the man was glaring daggers at him.

“I don’t want your pity, Kurosaki.” He warned.

“Trust me, the last thing I feel for you is pity.” Ichigo threw him a displeased look, trying to control the situation. “I paid you twenty dollars last week. Did you flush them down the toilet or something?”

“Yeah, I had to pay your sister last night.” Grimmjow spat back.

“Fuck you.”

“She did.”

Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He should have expected this, really, but he still had to exercise a surprising amount of self restraint not to jump at Grimmjow right there.

“You’re here to talk about business, or what?” Grimmjow broke the short silence.

“I’m here to get drinks, that’s all.” Ichigo stated, blank faced and avoiding Grimmjow’s eyes.

Grimmjow looked down at the counter for a moment, before grabbing his new beer and having a sip. Also avoiding Ichigo’s eyes, he muttered something in a strangely quiet voice.

“We’re still up for the other days, right?”

Ichigo paused, considering the words.

Call it a sixth instinct, but he knew something was wrong, although he wasn’t really that well acquainted to Grimmjow anyway. He glanced around, looking for anyone else in the bar that might be looking at them – besides his own group of friends that was.

“I guess. A deal’s a deal.” He half offered as he looked back at Grimmjow.

He seemed to be alone. Again.

“Hn.”

“You want to sit with us back there?” Ichigo asked without thinking it through.

“No.” Grimmjow scoffed with disdain.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Ichigo frowned.

“What are you, my mom?” Grimmjow’s lip twitched upwards.

Ichigo’s frown deepened, and he opened his mouth to reply with a deprecating comment to match. He didn’t, though. He paused and considered the man sitting next to him with a hesitant look he _knew_ would make Grimmjow angrier.

Then, he couldn’t help but smirk.

“No.” He said. “I’m your boyfriend.”

Grimmjow kept his composure, but in his eyes he looked at a loss for words. That was not the answer he had been expecting, even though he didn’t really know what to expect in the first place. Maybe an angry reaction?

God, he used to be damn good at pulling those from people. Maybe he lost his touch.

Or maybe Kurosaki and his family were just… weird.

“It’s still a no.” He replied, turning back to barely catch Kurosaki’s strange look.

Had he been expecting any other answer?

“Alright.” Ichigo signaled for new drinks, and received them swiftly from the bartender. He gave Grimmjow a small smile. “See you around.”

Grimmjow didn’t turn back towards him until the very last second, feeling like he had to have the last word.

“Ah, and babe.” He devilishly smirked when Ichigo looked back at him. “Thanks for the beer.”

Kurosaki, of course, smiled and snorted.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

Autumn was here, but it was still a beautiful day in Karakura, so much so that many people decided to go outside and enjoy the city park while they still could.

It was that time of the year where the trees all dropped their leaves, and for a few days the streets would be colored in reds and yellows. It hadn’t rained yet. There was some humidity in the grass from the morning cold, but nothing to stop the citizens from spreading their towels and sit down for a picnic.

This was Ichigo’s family case.

The suggestion had been his father’s of course. Every once in a while he liked to “connect with nature”, as he called it, and spend lunch hours outside by the sun. For some unbeknownst reason, that weekend he decided that Grimmjow had to join their free spirited bonding with dirt and pesky insects. There was, after all, no way they’d not invite the so called love of Ichigo’s life to another of their family traditions.

Ichigo felt like burying his face in the ground like an ostrich as soon as his father proclaimed those words. Grimmjow however, looked at it thought a different lens. It sounded like an opportunity to do what he came here to do.

It’s not that he cared about the outcome of this stupid idea as long as he got paid, but it sort of turned into a matter of pride. Kurosaki’s dark haired sister said it herself: there was no way their father was enjoying his presence.

Clearly, this had turned into a battle of resilience, and Grimmjow would be damned if he didn’t drive that annoying old fart to desperation.

They were all walking towards the park on a deeply inclined street, Grimmjow with his arm around the eldest son and sparing a few subtle glances at the patriarch being left behind.

He smirked as he looked at the older man’s face, remembering their earlier interaction. Next to him, Ichigo felt a bit guilty.

Isshin made a point of being well prepared when he left the house, and he held it upon himself to bring with him an excessive amount of baggage. It was embarrassing to be honest – he had bags of food, bags of utensils, the typical child-sized thermal bag for fresh beers, bags for his cameras and magazines and mystery bags whose contents none of them were really sure of.

Frankly, just walking down the street like that looked suspicious.

Ichigo asked his father to let him take a few things as soon as they left the house, but the offer was promptly rejected with just a little push from Isshin's pride.

“Hey, let me carry some of those."

“Babe, don't.” Grimmjow smiled at Ichigo as soon as he heard him make that offer. “I like your hands around me.”

Ichigo's mouth actually twitched with annoyance, and he glared at Grimmjow.

“Heh!” Isshin made a sound of badly disguised disbelief. “I don’t need help anyway, I’m a tough man!”

“Dad, quit acting like your stupid stubbornness makes you manlier!” Ichigo reprimanded, while Grimmjow just smirked.

“Your old man can take it.” Grimmjow murmured to his ear.

They were on a mission after all, and the look Isshin was giving him told him they were on the right track. But consistency mattered. Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder at the oldest man, and let his hand fall over Ichigo's ass, giving it an obvious squeeze.

The death glare it earned him only made it harder to stop himself from laughing out loud. Ichigo looked like he was about to bite his head off, but besides his nails digging into his torso as a little punishment of their own, he didn't do much to stop him. 

It was that lack of clear opposition that made it so easy for Grimmjow's hand to now blatantly make its way into Ichigo’s pants, lifting the brim of his shirt and touching the soft skin beneath. Isshin was sucking in such a long breath, his cheeks filled comically like a puffer-fish.

Good, lest that man start to think Grimmjow met his match. As he traveled lower, from Ichigo's back to his jeans' waistline, he could hear Isshin's footsteps slow down and come to a halt.

His fingers were barely starting to brush the skin of Ichigo’s behind, when said parent chose that moment to sprint past them in a jog so clumsy it nearly threw them down.

“I’ll race you kids to the top!” The older man shouted, almost running them over.

Ichigo gave off an uncomfortable, close mouthed sound as they dodged his way and regained their balance. As Isshin ran past them with his mountain-load of bags and left them without an audience, Grimmjow’s hand returned to Ichigo’s clothed flank.

Ichigo sighed with relief once that intrusive hand was gone. Groping his ass? Big no. He was starting to worry at what Grimmjow would do if his dad didn’t finally show some reaction, briefly considering the possible lawsuits for ripping someone's hand off like he wanted to. That same arm now rested respectfully around his waist, after making his skin raise in anticipation.

“Scared?” Isshin looked back at them from further ahead, pressing them to go after him instead of groping each other in plain sight.

“Of what?” Grimmjow called back. “Beating old men in a race?”

“Grimmjow!” Ichigo snapped at him.

“Old men? This old man has more vitality than the lot of you!” Isshin shouted again, lifting all his bags like he was weightlifting.

Ichigo winced at his swollen hands, red from carrying all that weight by himself. Still, his dad refused to show weakness.

Grimmjow looked back at Ichigo, leaning his face on his neck and barely whispering.

“The hell are you calling my name for, we’re here to piss him off.”

“There’s a thin line between annoying him, and being annoyed by him.” Ichigo quietly replied, feeling his face redden with Grimmjow’s breath over his skin.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’ll become unbearable if you push the wrong buttons. His age… that’s a wrong button.”

Grimmjow paused and leaned away, considering Ichigo’s father, who was calling out from the distance, one more time…

“Looks like this is a race I’m about to win!”

...and then completely ignoring the advice he was just given.

“That’s the spirit, old man.” Grimmjow shouted back, smirking at the offended look he got from the oldest Kurosaki. “With an attitude like that you won’t get sent to a retirement home till like, two whole years.”

“Seriously?” Ichigo groaned in annoyance, abandoning his secretive voice. Ahead of them, Isshin’s neck twitched. “You’re such a mouthful.”

“In more ways than one, right?” Grimmjow was right on his face with that predatory grin of his. “I’ll be your mouthful later tonight babe, I know how much you like that.”

Ichigo was about to give Grimmjow a piece of his mind – he was meant to be annoying his dad, not _him –_ but before he could something heavy came flying straight at them,

Grimmjow didn’t have time to dodge before a tupperware of food hit him straight in the face, throwing him off balance and driving him to the ground, where he then slid down the slope up to where Ichigo’s sisters had been absent minded talking with each other.

With his mouth wide open, Ichigo saw his fake lover skid across the concrete unceremoniously, and turned back to his father, who had _obviously_ thrown that damned container at him.

Isshin’s nostrils were once again flaring, but he seemed suddenly all too aware of what he’d done in his hot temper.

“Ah!” He blurted out, feigning concern. “It slipped!”

“What the hell!!!” Ichigo yelled, feeling genuinely outraged for some reason. “Slipped, my ass!”

Grimmjow had already sat up, wiping his worn out jacket – the same as always – while both of Ichigo’s sisters knelt down next to him with concern.

Ichigo rushed to him too, but something made him freeze. When he noticed the angry glare on Grimmjow’s blue eyes, a wave of fear hit him. He remembered he didn’t know this man well enough, that he first met him after he got into a fight, that he could very likely jump at his father and try to genuinely hurt him.

“Are you alright?” He asked, concerned despite himself. Isshin looked like he almost regretted his outburst as he saw his son’s eyes fixed on that delinquent.

Grimmjow was fuming. As Kurosaki put his hands softly on his shoulders, he wanted nothing more than to smack them away and give that old asshole a piece of his mind. He gritted his teeth, both in anger and at the pain of feeling his skin burnt from sliding over the street where his clothes failed to cover him.

He took a deep breath. And another.

Grimmjow wasn’t usually caught off guard like this, but at least it was more familiar territory.

Hell of a lot more familiar than Kurosaki looking actually worried at him. Fuck that. Grimmjow still had his dignity.

“Yeah. Help me out, will ya?” He groaned, and pushed himself up with a bit of unneeded help from Kurosaki, who stood next to him as a support.

Grimmjow leaned on him, maybe a bit more than necessary.

“We need to clean this up.” Ichigo muttered.

“I have first aid here! Hold up!”

The three siblings and Grimmjow looked up at the overly-prepared man making his way down with a sheepish, apologetic look on his face.

“Figures.” Karin scoffed.

Grimmjow however, was not feeling amused. He locked eyes with Isshin without even bothering to pretend it was an accident. Unconsciously, his grip tightened around Kurosaki’s waist.

The tension in the air was obvious, even with Isshin’s lazy attempt to relieve it. Grimmjow slowly twisted his lips into a grin, the type he was best at:

The type that promised trouble.

“Let’s go back home.” Ichigo said, catching the foreboding interaction. “We can take care of it at my dad’s clinic...”

“No.” Grimmjow stated, eyes still fixed on Isshin’s. “It’s just a scratch. Won't stop me.”

“Grimmjow...”

“If you want,” He finally looked back at Ichigo. “You can do that on the park. We’re closer to it than your family house anyway. Unless you meant...”

For a moment, Ichigo looked annoyed at another innuendo, but quickly that faded into a sigh of relief.

“Fine then. And dad...” He faced his father, who still had a strange look on his face, and played along. “Let me carry some of it. It could have been Karin or Yuzu who got hit.”

“I’m really sorry, Grimmjow!” Isshin blurted out, not looking very regretful with that sheepish smile of his. “I guess my age is catching up to me after all!”

Isshin was half congratulating himself for the exemplary aim, and half cursing himself.

He promised himself he’d make an effort. And instead he hit Jaegerjaquez in the face with a pastry tupperware. Pastries that Yuzu carefully made just for this special occasion. All because that man made another innuendo.

(...and called him old, but it was mostly the dirty suggestion towards his beloved son that made him snap.)

It was the most satisfying thing he’d done the past week, but only for the first few moments. Then, as he saw the worry on Ichigo’s eyes, he remembered he was meant to play the supportive father.

Oh god. His son would hate him now. He blew it.

A smaller, meek voice spoke over them.

“Hm, Grimmjow...” Yuzu ventured. “Is this yours?”

Grimmjow looked back at her, noticing she held something in her hands.

He took it as she handed it to him. It was his phone, an old brick from back in the days before touchscreen, one of those things that could take a hundred falls and still function. This one functioned alright, but he took a deep breath when he realized the screen was cracked, deeply enough that he couldn’t discern anything on it.

“Well shit.” He muttered.

“You have another phone?” Ichigo asked, looking sympathetic.

Grimmjow didn’t answer. No, he didn’t have another phone. Just that one had costed him 50$ that he carefully saved up, because having a piece of shit brick was better than not having one at all.

“I’ll buy you a new one.” Isshin’s older voice broke his thoughts. “It was my fault so don’t worry, I’ll replace it!”

“Damn right you will.” Ichigo frowned at his old man.

“Don’t worry babe.” Grimmjow said, oddly calm as he kept walking forward and pulled Kurosaki with him. “One day without sexting isn’t the end of the world.”

 

* * *

 

 

A bit to Ichigo’s surprise, the family had their picnic without any other incident.

Well, besides Grimmjow’s insistent complaining about insects, dirty talking and shameless touches, of course. His father even looked like he knew he was way out of line with his little stunt.

Ichigo couldn’t lie though. After the initial disbelief and irritation, he was kind of relieved he did it. It was hypocritical of him, he knew. But it wasn't that he wished Grimmjow any harm, rather in a weird way, he was starting to get alarmed at how his dad just accepted him dating a man like that without a word. He'd always been over protective of his sisters - lucky him - but Ichigo would feel just a bit strange if there wasn't some of that over the top concern reserved for him too. Or at least something else directed towards him besides the usual girlfriend-finding pressure.

He chewed on his own lip in thought, not noticing Grimmjow looking at it. He never thought that sort of thing from his dad would ever be welcome. After all, this whole plot drunkenly came to life because they all thought his judgments were too annoying.  Even so, the way Grimmjow looked at his dad had been eating him up the whole lunch, like a cat ready to pounce and eat. Nothing came out of it so far. For now, he just shamelessly took his shirt off and bared the cold, for once not to annoy his father (well, not completely), but to allow Ichigo to clean off his scratches.

They weren’t many, but they were nasty on the zones his clothes rode up and didn’t manage to cover his skin.

Ichigo stubbornly kept his eyes on them and refrained from making any kind of appreciation of Grimmjow’s body. Looking at him like _that_ was the last thing he needed. He grabbed cotton and alcohol and tenderly wiped at every wound.

No matter how careful he was though, Grimmjow still winced at it.

“Jesus, Kurosaki, let me know before you get in there.” Grimmjow muttered, just quietly enough for him to hear.

“You’re acting like a kid.” Ichigo smiled at the other, who returned a smirk of his own mixed with annoyance.

“At least _I’m_ not on my fifties.”

Ichigo snorted.

Looking back at it, he actually found the scene funny.

“I told you he was overbearing.” He quietly said.

“Overbearing, not violent. Ouch!”

“Man up, Grimmjow.”

“I can’t.” Grimmjow frowned, but his eyes betrayed amusement. “You have to kiss it better.”

“Tsk!” Ichigo almost spluttered, dabbing the cotton a little bit too hard into the concrete burn on Grimmjow’s lower back.

“Fuck!” The other cursed right away. “I said kiss it, not fuck it!”

“Wow, you’re really pushing for a smooch, aren’t you?” Ichigo taunted, a little payback of his own.

He didn’t know why he said that. It just came out of his mouth, and as expected, Grimmjow didn’t shy away from taking the bait.

“Is that such a bad thing?” The blue haired man grinned, looking past his shoulder at Ichigo, who sat behind him on the grass. “Or are you still scared of being into men?”

“I’m not into men.”

“Just me then.”

Ichigo smirked, and dabbed again on the wound.

“Agh!” Grimmjow groaned again, giving him a dirty look.

“Is that a pout?” Ichigo lifted an eyebrow, still smiling. “Or are you puckering up.”

“Wow, you’re actually flirting.”

Just like that, Ichigo’s smile was wiped off his face, and he looked sideways to see Karin throwing them a shady look.

The two men shifted apart like they were just burnt.

“So when’s that kiss coming?” She pressed.

“What the hell Karin?” Ichigo frowned.

“Are you done?” Grimmjow interrupted, reaching for his shirt. Although his voice was rough, he looked almost uncomfortable suddenly.

“Yeah.” Ichigo absently told him.

“There’s a green haired girl trying to catch your attention for the past two minutes.” Karin nodded at the distance, and Ichigo followed her eyes curiously.

Sure enough, there was a woman waving in their direction, only seeming more excited when he and Grimmjow noticed her. He had no idea who that was though. He was about to point it out, when he heard Grimmjow moodily mumble to himself.

“Fuck’s sake...”

“You know her?” Ichigo asked.

“She works at the gym I go to.”

“You go to the gym?” Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

Well, it wasn’t that weird. Just that Grimmjow didn’t strike him as a person of healthy habits, especially knowing how he spent his weekend nights.

“Tsk. You think this body just happens out of nowhere?” Grimmjow gave him a smug grin.

Ichigo looked past him to see his sister staring right at him with a teasing face. Just like that, he felt his face redden in frustration.

He turned back at Grimmjow, looking annoyed.

“Shouldn’t we go there?”

“Hell no.”

“She’s coming here though.” Ichigo noted.

Grimmjow stayed in his place for a bit as she started approaching them, and eventually let out a loud groan and stood up, grabbing Ichigo by the hand.

If he had to talk to her, he’d rather do it away from the family he’s trying to un-impress.

Ichigo took his hand and got up right away, walking towards this strange woman, who was the first acquaintance of Grimmjow’s that he ever met. He didn’t really know why that thought made him nervous.

“Grimmjow!” She waved happily once they were close enough to hear her.

Ichigo felt like he swallowed a toad.

That woman was stunning, in a warm, even exotic way. Her long, mossy hair curled at the ends and down her back, looking as unusually bright as Grimmjow’s, and her teeth were endearingly imperfect, just a bit crooked at the bottom. It didn’t lessen her beauty in the least. Her lips were soft looking and full, her lashes large, eyebrows thick, and eyes a muddy brown that looked almost whiskey at times. He wondered if maybe she and Grimmjow had history, but the annoyed look the other man was giving her made him brush that thought off. Why that thought came to mind in the first place, was something he couldn’t tell.

Her eyes widened even more as she took him in, and he uncomfortably noticed she leaned her head back with a look of disproportionate happiness.

“Is thaaaaat--”

“Calm your tits, Nelliel.” Grimmjow groaned, looking in every direction but hers.

Yeah, tits. She had plenty of those. Grimmjow probably noticed them too, Ichigo thought, before berating himself for it.

No. What was wrong with his brain lately?

“Sooo,” She continued, and Grimmjow nearly sneered at her apparent habit of prolonging words. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your handsome date?”

“He’s not my date.” Grimmjow snarled.

“You looked pretty cozy just now.”

“Well it’s not what it looks like.” Grimmjow insisted.

Ichigo only looked from one to the other, actually wishing Grimmjow would just introduce him so he wouldn’t have to stand there like the token-boyfriend.

“Looks to me like you’re holding hands.”

The two men looked down, and tore their hands away like they were stung.

Grimmjow was done with her already, and he spent a grand total of twenty seconds in her presence so far. So what if he held hands a bit longer? It was none of her business why he was doing it – which was, evidently, to bother Kurosaki’s father.

His father. Who was back there, not looking at them.

Grimmjow shoved his hands on his pockets and focused on barking at her instead of being embarrassed.

“Well you’ve never been the smartest tool in the shed, have you?”

Ichigo frowned at him, still feeling flustered, but this Nelliel woman didn’t seem to be bothered by his words. She turned to him with a friendly smile and extended her hand.

“I’m Nel!” She offered.

“Ichigo.” He smiled in return, shaking her hand.

“It’s not every day I meet a _friend_ of Grimm’s.” Nel told him, with a strange glow in her eyes _._

“Tell me about it.” Ichigo agreed, although he spared Grimmjow a taunting look.

_Grimm?_

Grimmjow only groaned and looked away.

“So we’re going back now.” He tried to escape, but Nelliel was more persistent.

“So you’re not dating yet?” She smirked.

Ichigo opened his mouth, nearly stuttering. That _yet_ was beyond loaded.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Grimmjow snarled again.

This time, she actually frowned at him.

“I was just surprised.” Nelliel turned to Ichigo with a sigh. “Grimm is just so mean sometimes that I wonder if anyone bothers putting up with him.”

“Like you?” Ichigo smirked, and Grimmjow bit his lip.

“Hmm...” She seemed to be contemplating an answer, as she looked at Grimmjow and took in his tense posture. “I’ve done him a few favors on occasion. I like to think there’s a heart of gold deep down there.”

“Very deep down.” Ichigo joked, quickly realizing his mistake when Nelliel turned back to him like a hawk.

“So you’ve been that far down.”

Honestly, he was starting to find it annoying.

“I didn’t say that...”

She closed her eyes, blinking with a beaming smile.

“You sound like the best company I've ever seen him with. You’d be good for him.”

“Will you stop being such a pushy bitch?” Grimmjow nearly yelled at her. “We’re not dating, he's more into your rack than my ass.”

“Hey!” Ichigo snapped.

“Yeah, fine _Ichigo_ , I know you’re closeted, just let it slide this once!” Grimmjow mocked him.

Ichigo felt like smacking him right in the face. Luckily for Grimmjow, his mother taught him right.

“Can’t you just talk like a normal human for five minutes or were you dropped off at birth and grew up an idiot?”

_Sorry mom._

“I don’t know, why don’t you shut up for five minutes so I don’t have to talk to you at all?” Grimmjow’s temper flared.

“Maybe I should, since the only thing that comes out of your mouth once you open it is crap!”

Nelliel was silent, watching the back and forth with a curious look.

“Don’t wait up for permission, please do!” Grimmjow shot. “Or you want me to take initiative for you?”

“Grimmjow!” She finally interrupted them, with a suddenly serious look. “Nobody treated you badly. Cut it off.”

“Fuck off.” He snarled.

“I turn a blind eye to you sleeping at the gym, but...” Nelliel said, the words lingering in the air.

“Look,” Grimmjow let out an exasperated groan, before nodding at Ichigo. “We’re not dating. I’m just here to piss off his old man because he wants Kurosaki over here to get married and start making some brats.”

“Anything else about me you want your friends to know?” Ichigo scowled.

“She’s not my friend.” Grimmjow said, and Nelliel threw him a wounded look.

“That’s not reassuring, you know?” Ichigo gritted his teeth.

“So lay off, Nel.” Grimmjow concluded.

She simply looked at both of them with an impassive look for a few moments, before letting out a dismayed sigh. Ichigo crossed his arms uncomfortably. The world around them didn't seem to pay their argument any mind, and fortunately for them, ichigo's family wasn't included. 

“Good for you, Ichigo. You can do better.” Nelliel finally said, sparing Grimmjow a haughty glance. “...And good for me.”

Ichigo grimaced at that. He knew it, there was something going on between those two – and god forbid he was the idiot getting in the way of a jealousy inducing couple like them with his drunken schemes. They would look attractive together, both brightly colored and good looking and… eh, probably more things in common that he didn’t pick up just yet. And he absolutely didn’t feel like hitting his head against a wall for thinking of _Grimmjow_ and _good looking_ as two connected things either.

He didn’t get to delve on those thoughts for too long though, as Nelliel took him by the arm and leaned against him, grinning.

“Maybe _we_ could go on a date when your dad is not looking?” She asked, catching Ichigo completely off guard.

Him? Was she on crack?

"Hey, back off!” Grimmjow barked, pushing her away.

“Someone’s jealous after all.” She taunted, seeming unaffected by his treatment.

“I’m not! You’re blowing my cover!” He protested, looking back at the Kurosaki family, who was paying them no mind.

“You’re blowing your own cover.” Nelliel chuckled. “That blue hair really makes the red of your face pop out, Grimm.”

Ichigo couldn’t stop himself. As soon as he heard that, he turned towards Grimmjow to see a subtle blush on his face, but one that as Nelliel said, clashed with his hair. And with his bright blue eyes.

It wasn’t just strange.

It was cute. And that by itself was a whole other level of bizarre, like he just jumped straight into the Twilight Zone.

“What are you looking at!” Grimmjow cussed at him.

“Nothing!” Ichigo looked away.

Nelliel kept a smug smile on her lips, tilting her hips in all her match-making glory.

“It was nice seeing you, Grimm. And really nice meeting you, Ichigo! I have to get going now, but…” She playfully lowered her voice into a whisper. “My offer still stands.”

With a suggestive wink, she walked away, sparing no more words for Grimmjow who, for once in the past few days, didn’t seem to be the least bit entertained.

Ichigo was at a loss for words himself. Probably she was just trying to annoy Grimmjow, much like he seemed to have a penchant for irking everyone else.

Looking at it on that perspective, it was kind of funny. Grimmjow looked visibly uncomfortable, glaring at Ichigo when he noticed he was being stared at.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Ichigo scoffed, though a small smile still peeked on his lips. “ _Grimm._ ”

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos! I hope you're still having fun with this one :D

Despite all the resilient mocking he had been subjected to the previous day, Isshin didn’t consider himself to be old, or even old-fashioned.

Rather, he thought he was a pretty contemporary man. He kept up with the latest fashion trends, regularly took trips to the cinema to see the latest blockbusters, and bought CDs of brand new artists. He was practically the definition of modern!

Today though, he was feeling a bit lost.

Urahara seemed to be busy looking for a specific type of tea while the kettle heated in the small kitchen at the back of his shop, but Isshin didn’t let that distract him. He wasn’t old… Or outdated. He just didn’t know which one of the smartphones on the big catalog in his hands was the most appropriate one to replace Jaegerjaquez’s old phone.

“Were phones always this expensive?” Isshin mumbled, as the telltale noise of porcelain cups came from the kitchen.

“You must be looking at the new models.” Was the drowned out response he got.

“These are all new models then! Lowest priced one is 300… I’m pretty sure the phone he broke wasn’t worth this much.”

“Well,” Urahara peeked from the doorway. “You shouldn’t have thrown a tupperware at him.”

“Kisuke, you clearly have no children.” Isshin complained, with a slightly condescending air. “If you did, you’d understand.”

“I suppose I’ll never know.” Urahara went back to the kitchen, apparently having found what he was looking for and pouring them both a cup.

“That was one mistake that's gonna cost me. What should I get him?”

Urahara walked back to the room with a tray of tea and cookies. Isshin raised an eyebrow at the extra treat, but didn’t complain. Everyone fell on a bit of a self-pampering mood every once in a while.

“Smartphones aren’t exactly my specialty...”

“You’re more tech savvy than I am though.” Isshin pressed. “I’m still not sure what the difference between an _android_ and an i _-phone_ is, and it doesn’t say anywhere!”

“It’s the brand. Why don’t you just get one like the one Jaegerjaquez already had?”

“I don’t know which one it was!”  
  
“Don’t you see any similar ones?”

Isshin flipped through the pages of the catalog with a lost expression.

“It didn’t look like any of these. It was one of those older phones.” He explained, as Urahara poured some tea and helped himself to some cookies.

“So get him an older one.” He chewed, unconcerned.

“That seems a bit...” Isshin hesitated. “I mean, I could have hurt the boy, and I broke his phone. I feel like I owe him a bit better than what he had. Even if he’s a nightmare.”

“Well, yeah.” Urahara raised his eyebrow.

“Well, not _this_ much better. And Ichigo looked a bit upset about it.” Isshin sighed.

Urahara smirked. Ah, there it was.

“I feel like he was just waiting for this to happen, and like I completely disappointed him.” Isshin continued.

“I’m sure he was.”

“He’s going to think I don’t want him dating a man. That I want to dictate his life.” His tone grew disheartened. “It’s just that when you see your kids with people that you don’t think are right for them, it’s hard to keep quiet about it.”

“I understand.” Urahara nodded, almost feeling sorry for his friend. Almost. “You just have to suck it up and let Ichigo make his own mistakes and decisions.”

“I know.” The eldest Kurosaki snapped the catalog shut and waved it in his hand. “That’s why I got this in the first place. I need to make amends.”

Urahara stayed silent for a few moments, watching Isshin put the catalog back down and look at his cup of tea with a blank face, just keeping it in his hands without taking a single sip.

 _Alright,_ he thought, _This is getting a bit heart wrenching, Tupperware attack and all._

Isshin, bless his soul, hadn’t caught up to the fact that he was being played just yet, instead he was actually bothered and pensive about it. But perhaps this would be a learning opportunity for him, on letting the little birds out of their nest without constantly hovering nearby. 

“So,” He started. “You really don’t think this Jaegerjaquez boy is good for him, huh?”

“Not at all.” Isshin sighed.

“But you are checking out phones for him.”

"That's just taking responsibility."

"So you want to get rid of him anyway."

Urahara was expecting a quick response, but a bit to his surprise, Isshin seemed to be thinking of something to say.

“Maybe?”

“Maybe?” Urahara questioned. 

“You know Ichigo is a bit of a grumpy son, right?” Isshin explained. “And that hasn’t changed, but...”

Urahara leaned forward with interest.

“Back at the picnic I caught him looking more at ease. Playful, maybe?” Isshin took his first sip of tea. "And it's so obvious that he cares about that man. I don't want to take that away from him..."

“Really?”

“I mean, of course he’d feel comfortable, they’re dating. There has to be some sort of… intimacy.” Isshin all but shuddered at that word. “I guess I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I was under the impression Ichigo looked annoyed at him most of the time.” Urahara smirked, trying to hide his surprise. This was a new revelation…

“Well he does too!” Isshin met his eyes with a resolute look. “And it’s not just me imagining things either!”

Now, Urahara wasn’t one to butt in family matters, but maybe he was a bit justified in doing so this time. If not to help out his old friend, then for entertainment's sake. Things could get a bit dull and lonely in his shop when there wasn't family drama to spice things up. He considered Isshin's frown, and contained the amused smile threatening to show on his own features into a trained, contemplative look.

“You’re giving me two very different insights right now. Maybe...” Urahara cautiously suggested. “They have a different type of chemistry?”

Isshin turned his nose at that, and his tongue peeked out of his mouth in disgust.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, didn’t they meet in an adverse situation, with that of taking his wallet and all?”

Isshin stayed quiet, but his face looked like he tasted something sour. Oh he remembered Jaegerjaquez’s retelling of their first meeting alright.

“ _That anger turned into a different type of heat...”_

Urahara silently watched as the gingerbread cookie Isshin had taken broke under his tight fist. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to tone down the teasing anymore.

“Perhaps they just live off of that… fire?” He tried. "Ichigo  _is_ an attractive, athletic young man..."

Isshin let out a deep, unflattering breath, like he was a horse. 

“Ok. Yes, I want to get rid of Jaegerjaquez.” He resolved. “Definitely.”

Urahara smirked.

“So, not a maybe.”

“Not a maybe.” Isshin nodded.

“What about your son?”

Isshin let out a dismayed whimper.

The shop keeper finished his drink with a satisfied sigh. Could it be that he’d been wrong about Ichigo from the start? Nah, but it looked like the young Kurosaki was getting caught up in his own tactics and befriending this Jaegerjaquez. Now, Urahara never meant to brag, but he was always pretty good at hitting two targets with one arrow.

“How the great have fallen.” The shopkeeper announced. “You used to be a professional at scaring away unwanted boyfriends, and now you need my help.”

Isshin’s eyes widened as he took in the words. He turned to Urahara, who poured himself more hot tea.

“If it’s the fire they’re drawn to, then you can’t add up any more fuel to it.” He said. “They’re in it for the trill, so if you want to drive Jaegerjaquez away, well… make it boring for them.”

“Make it boring?” Isshin asked, looking unsure.

Urahara just nodded, and blew at the steam of his drink.

“You have to put down that flame.”

 

* * *

 

Sunday afternoon was coming to an end, and his father hadn’t yet returned from his supposed short trip to Urahara’s.

The owner of a quaint little shop on the outskirts of town had always been close to Ichigo’s family, especially his dad. They’d been friends since high school apparently, and he had been there for every stage of his and his sister’s lives. It sort of made him into a weird uncle, and they introduced him as such whenever they had to.

Ichigo had no doubt though, that his dad was pouring his heart out to his friend right now, probably complaining about Grimmjow for hours with no end in sight. Despite that being exactly what he wanted, it somehow left a weird taste in his mouth. Maybe because his private life, however deliberately exposed it was now, wasn't something he'd ever want discussed like that.

He wasn't sure at what point Grimmjow being a part of his life was an acceptable concept. His eyes fell on the kitchen counter to take in the two sandwiches he was preparing, one for him and the other for the only other person in the house at the moment. Thankfully he didn't get to spend time overthinking his hospitality, as a sudden and overtly loud noise came from the living room’s television and tore his thoughts away from domestic nonsense. His ears went red.

“Will you put that down!?” He yelled at Grimmjow, who finally decided upon a channel.

Loud, erotic moaning filled the house, and Ichigo couldn’t tell whether he was more embarrassed or angry at it. He walked to the living room with their plate of food to see Grimmjow sprawled on the couch with the remote in hand and his old, dirty boots resting on the coffee table in front of him.

Ichigo felt himself redden as the woman on the large TV made a particularly loud noise.

“My dad’s not here!” He complained. “And we do have neighbors!”

“Your neighbors probably watch it too.” Grimmjow nonchalantly said, without tearing his eyes from the screen.

”Grimmjow.” Ichigo reprimanded.

“Look, Kurosaki, your dad’s gonna flip if he gets home to this. I’m just doing my job.” Grimmjow finally turned to him.

“Don’t play innocent, it doesn’t suit you.” Ichigo scowled, approaching him from the back of the couch. “Besides, it wouldn’t work.”

“How come?” Grimmjow turned his head to see the other man, as he leaned down the sofa with an annoyed face and spoke close to his ear.

“It’s straight porn, _Grimm_.” Ichigo smirked.

Grimmjow scoffed, but when he moved to face Kurosaki properly, the man was already gone. He couldn’t keep a smirk from his own face though.

“Well spotted. I can just look for something more to our tastes.” He suggested with a sultry voice as Ichigo sat down next to him, and settled their food on the coffee table.

“Tsk. Get your feet out of there.” Ichigo murmured, taking the remote from Grimmjow’s hand and quickly lowering the volume. “Nice try, but you just outed yourself.”

“As a straight man?” Grimmjow scoffed, as his legs were pushed to the floor.

“Hmhm.” Ichigo took a bite of his sandwich without further reply, zapping through the TV channels.

“Don’t be so disappointed about that.” Grimmjow leaned closer, a rough and calloused hand moving to rest on Ichigo’s thigh.

Still with food in his mouth, Ichigo threw said hand a severely unimpressed glare.

“I like the added experience of swinging both ways.” Grimmjow murmured.

“Try swinging away from me then.” Ichigo smacked his hand away.

“Yeah Kurosaki, you pretend like you aren’t just growing a big wet one from those five seconds of porn, but I know better.”

“Grimmjow...” Ichigo warned.

“Wasn’t even the woman that did it, was it?” Grimmjow licked his lips.

“Why don’t you eat something, so your mouth is busy with something other than talking?” Ichigo nodded at the untouched sandwich.

Grimmjow’s devious face didn’t lessen at all, but before he had the time to open his mouth and add anything, Ichigo glared at him.

“And don’t even go there.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Grimmjow smirked.

“Didn’t I tell you already to stop playing innocent?”

“Ah right, the bad boy charm.”

Ichigo sighed again.

“My dad isn’t here. Can’t you cut me a break and be normal for ten minutes?”

“I am being normal.” Grimmjow frowned.

“No you’re not, you’re being an ass.”

“Ah, that’s rich.” Grimmjow scowled. “Wasn’t that exactly what made you talk to me?”

“Just turn it off. Ten minutes, turn it off.” Ichigo rubbed his forehead.

Grimmjow chewed on his mouth, obviously annoyed at the words. He sat back on the couch without responding, although it was clear he wanted to say something. It was just that he didn’t know exactly what just yet.

To be honest, he couldn’t exactly pin point why that comment bothered him that much. He heard worse on a daily basis (and he did lash out at that despite being used to it), but that little comment had this particular tinge of rejection in it. Like Ichigo didn’t like having him around. It didn’t sit well.

“Not everyone’s like you, you know?” He finally settled, and Ichigo looked at him questioning.

“What?”

“Like a good, decent guy. Or pretending to be one.”

“What are you getting at?” Ichigo scowled again.

“You’re Mr. Repressed, aren’t you? _Don’t do this, stop saying that.”_ Grimmjow mimicked. “No wonder you can’t bring home a real girlfriend.”

“What the hell, you’re actually offended at that?”

“Oh, because you’d be so above it.”

“Sorry!” Ichigo scoffed. “I shouldn’t have assumed you had anything else beneath all that crappy attitude.”

“At least I own my attitude, instead of acting like I’m a goody two shoes when I’m actually paying some dude to piss off my dad.”

Ichigo bit his lip again, and Grimmjow’s head twisted abruptly to face the other way.

He was angry damn it. He was not about to stop being angry because his brain decided to start taking note of every time Ichigo did that thing. Biting his lip. What was up with that anyway? He was like a fucking rated-R schoolgirl flick.

“Whatever, Grimmjow.” Ichigo muttered, keeping his eyes on the TV screen.

They didn’t talk more after that, both pretending to be focusing on the dull Sunday movies for a few minutes before switching to something else.

Ichigo didn't act like a goody two shoes. Anyone who knew him – unlike Grimmjow – would say it right away. Especially when he’d been a teenager, he’d always been a bit unhinged, getting into fights almost at a daily basis. And he didn’t take shit from anyone either. Of course that later he grew up, and so did the people around him, until he found himself with less and less reasons to keep that sort of attitude. And then he got some maturity on top of that to teach him to just shake somethings off instead of taking the bait every single time.

It was actually impressive how Grimmjow always seemed to drag the fifteen year old out of him with such ease. Like every minute he spent with the man, he felt himself regressing back to the person he was during his teen years, when it looked like the world was out to get him.

The minutes ticked away, and none of the plot of the movie they were staring at stuck with him so far. Ichigo never thought he’d wait for something like this, but it was about time his dad got home so he wouldn’t have to be awkwardly alone with this guy anymore.

He spared Grimmjow a subtle glance.

Sure, Grimmjow was old enough to wise up, but maybe he too felt like the odds were against him. Furthermore, the uncomfortable silence was starting to get unbearable. There was no way they were going to be able to pull this scheme off if they genuinely disliked each other… And Ichigo liked to think they didn’t.

He faced the TV again, looking for anything to break the tension. On the screen, some kid was being bullied for God knows what. A generic social outcast scene like probably a thousand other movies did before.

“Kids are the worst, huh?” Ichigo tried, immediately cursing himself for the weak attempt.

Grimmjow glanced at him, still with an annoyed look, and then shifted his eyes back at the TV like Ichigo didn’t just awkwardly try to make conversation.

That was fine. He’d try again.

“They used to do this to me too.” He continued. “Because of the orange hair.”

Grimmjow glanced again, but this time something in his eyes showed curiosity. He seemed reluctant to give in and reply, but eventually he did.

“So that thing’s natural?”

“Yep.” Ichigo answered, pausing to wonder how the hell was he supposed to follow up the conversation. It seemed they were back to the strained silence.

It all seemed lost for a few seconds, when Grimmjow surprised him by adding something.

“You’re tripping me.”

“It’s real.”

Grimmjow snorted, facing the screen again.

It was a very short interaction, but it managed to lift some of the tension between them. Ichigo sighed, slumping a bit more into the couch, the tension he hadn't noticed on his shoulders easing up a little.

“They used to make fun of me too at school.” Grimmjow offered, and Ichigo raised a questioning brow at him. “Called me frog-face.”

“Frog face?”

“Because of my eyes.”

Ichigo looked at him questioningly.

“They’re big.” Grimmjow specified with annoyance. “Too big. And hooded.”

“You look like you grew up great to me.” Ichigo shrugged...

Then stopped, and Grimmjow stared at him with a blank face that soon turned smug.

“Really? You wanna say that again?”

“Fuck off...”

“You sure you don’t want a piece of this?” Grimmjow resiliently mocked. “Don’t remember being called pretty before.”

Somehow, to Ichigo, that seemed hard to believe. The annoying persona Grimmjow liked to play up so much was back in town, but at least the mood wasn’t strained anymore.

“I didn’t call you pretty. And probably nobody else does either because you ruin it when you open your mouth.”

“Now I don’t know about my looks.” Grimmjow leaned in, and much to Ichigos discomfort, leered at him. “But I’ve only heard good things about my mouth.”

“Gross.”

“I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Grimmjow backed away again, almost taking Ichigo in. “And you said I grew up nicely.”

“Fucking...” Ichigo sneered. “You don’t look like a frog face anymore! Happy? Let it go.”

“Tsk.”

They faced the TV again without more words, their sandwiches long gone, and Ichigo’s father long late.

Still, both had a smirk threatening to show on their lips.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Shamelessly shoves more tropes in this*  
> Well, they wouldn't be tropes if we didn't get a kick out f them, right?

 

 ****Something was up.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes with suspicion as he examined his dad at the dinner table, who was looking almost pleased with himself. He thought maybe that was because Grimmjow was feeling voracious.

Yuzu and Karin had gone out with their friends - like _he_ should have if he wasn't being pushed to carry out his so called bulletproof plan - so tonight's cooking was courtesy of his old man. It wasn't that Isshin was horrible at it. He did raise three kids on his own and none of them starved along the way. It was just that he wasn't all that good at it either.

Yet, the overcooked pasta and mushy grovel that came with it wasn’t throwing Grimmjow off, and maybe that made him fall a bit into Isshin’s good graces. It was bad news for what they were trying to do, but Ichigo wasn’t alarmed about it just yet. The way his dad finally arrived in the house was that got him uneasy.

“Sorry I’m late!” He told them with a beaming smile that didn’t quite pass. “I just thought I’d give you kids some time alone.”

As if the way he wiggled his eyebrows back then wasn’t disturbing enough, now he was refilling Grimmjow’s plate like he wanted to keep him around.

This was almost certainly Urahara’s doing. Ichigo just knew his dad went to him and got his head filled with some stupid idea to blow his plans to the water. And he was getting a bit miffed about it too. Reluctantly, he started to admit to himself that he didn’t mind having Grimmjow around much anymore, but he still didn’t like the idea of paying him to apparently, have free meals and parental praise.

Maybe Isshin was genuinely remorseful for throwing a tupperware to Grimmjow’s face. Who knew?

“Jaegerjaquez, what is my boy feeding you back home?” Isshin smiled, filling Grimmjow’s glass for the third time that night. “You eat like a starved man.”

Grimmjow just barely raised his eyes from his food, the spaghetti dangling from his lips before he messily slurped it in. He was the only person who still wasn’t done with eating.

“Your son gets me all tired.” He said with a mouthful. “We burn a lot of energy.”

Ichigo wanted to facepalm. He was started to grow sort of impervious to those comments after hearing them for hours. After all, his family had already been flooded by uncalled for comments the past two days. How much worse could they think of him from now on?

“I see.” Isshin nodded with an easy face. Easy, if you didn’t take note of the bulging vein on his forehead. “It’s good to develop your stamina.”

Grimmjow threw Ichigo a weary glance.

Ichigo ignored it. What else could he do, really? He kept on wishing his sisters were around, so he wouldn’t have dinner with just Grimmjow and his father.

“Were you at Urahara’s all this time?” Ichigo tried to sound casual as he pried for information.

“Yes, of course.” Isshin answered. However, he looked a bit tense about it, like he was hiding something.

Ichigo kept glancing at him. He could only imagine what they had been talking about.

“Who’s that?” Grimmjow butted in with another mouthful.

“Family friend.” Ichigo answered.

“Extended family, really.” Isshin smiled. “I actually told him all about you, Jaegerjaquez.”

Ichigo looked at his father with unease, although Grimmjow didn’t seem to mind much about his reputation.

“He’s looking forward to meet you!”

“What?” Now Ichigo grew worried.

“Well, I told him you found someone to bring home, so of course he wants to be introduced too!”

 _Is this some sort of ploy?_ Ichigo wondered. It was actually a terrifying prospect he hadn’t thought about yet – the possibility of a future girlfriend having to go through his father _and_ Urahara.

“Why would you...” Ichigo started, biting down his tongue. “I mean, if Grimm is okay with it...”

Grimmjow’s eyes left his plate for a moment, just to glare at Ichigo’s selected nickname.

“What do you say, Jaegerjaquez?” Isshin pressed.

“Sure.” Grimmjow swallowed. “The more fam I get to know, the merrier.”

“Wonderful news!” Isshin beamed, on the surface.

Ichigo knew him better than to believe that happiness. In fact, right after that short exchange, the kitchen table fell completely silent again, and the air filled with a sort of tension that reminded him of of a forensic crime TV show, a murder scene waiting to unravel.

“So, Jaegerjaquez.” Isshin cleared his throat. “I feel like I still don’t know much about you.”

Grimmjow swallowed his food abruptly. He was prepared to meet whatever weird ass relatives they threw him, but talking about his life to them wasn't on his to do list. The way the conversation was heading from Ichigo's lousy love life to what would certainly have to be an improv session on his own was not good.

“Do you have any interests?”

He readied himself for the prying. Grimmjow didn’t know why Isshin suddenly took an interest in him, or even why he adopted the invested father shtick all of a sudden, but if that was an attempt to scare him off or just plain judgement casting, the old man had another thing coming for him. There was nothing this guy could throw to him that he couldn't (and wouldn't) throw back at his face.

“Besides your son?” Grimmjow sucked it up and grinned, catching Ichigo nearly sighing next to him. “I guess I like playing the guitar.”

Isshin offered him a forced smile, and did his best to ignore the first half of the sentence. Music seemed innocent enough as a topic.

“Is that so? Ichigo used to play too when he was a teenager. Then he just got lazy.” 

“By lazy, he means I got into med school.” Ichigo scowled at his father.

“I went to med school too and I still had time to practice my hobbies.” Isshin reproached his son, before turning back to Grimmjow. “He still has a guitar in his room.”

“That so?” Grimmjow smirked. “Babe, why don’t you go get it?”

“Why?” Ichigo pretty much tensed.

“Gotta show your old man my skills.” He explained with a smug look. “Usually I don’t do that, but this is a special occasion?”

“Special because?” Ichigo wasn’t convinced.

“Your sisters aren’t here. And I don’t sing next to women.”

“Why’s that?” Isshin actually fell for the bait.

“My voice is like a magnet to them. Sisters, moms, aunts. They’re all over me.”

Ichigo smacked him lightly in the head, and Grimmjow looked at him with a look of faux offense, as if that actually hurt him.

Isshin only kept his lips pressed tightly together as he watched the exchange, an expression that was starting to become very familiar on him.

“I’ll get the guitar.” Ichigo stood from the table. “And you stop making up lies.”

“Lies?” Grimmjow called for him once Ichigo left the kitchen and headed upstairs. “We’ll see about that once you listen to the song I wrote you.”

“You wrote him a song?” Isshin cautiously asked.

Isshin didn’t know why he bothered. He knew nothing good was going to come out of it. Perhaps it was a sense of morbid curiosity. Grimmjow nodded and turned to him with a well practiced look of affection.

“Yeah. It’s gonna be our song.”

The older man swallowed dry.

Fair enough, this was only one dinner night, but so far Urahara’s plan of being supportive of their relationship wasn’t really working. Actually, Isshin was starting to wonder if his friend knew what he was talking about at all. He didn’t appreciate the air of overconfidence Jaegerjaquez wore, and he wasn’t really seeing how encouraging him would make things any better. If anything, it only seemed like opening a Pandora box of unwanted information.

In any case, he didn't know what else he could do to push the other man away. He had a dream that night, a possibly prophetic vision, of what would happen if tried too hard and too blatantly to scare Jaegerjaquez away. It was his son, pointing his finger at him with disappointment and accusing him of ruining his life.

 _I will never forgive you!_ Ichigo told him through his subconscious.  _I will be cutting contact from you forever._

Urahara asked him if that wasn't overly dramatic when Isshin shared his dream. Clearly the other man didn't know much of children or of the dread of their departure.

 _I'll spend my life with Grimmjow from now on, far away from here._  Ichigo's voice promised him. 

Isshin woke up sweating and gasping, but not before his nightmare stomped on his heart one more time.

_Also I'll be taking Yuzu and Karin with me, so they can meet Grimmjow's attractive delinquent brothers._

God, just thinking about it made his knees weak.

Urahara was probably on point with his enabling approach. He always was. Just looking at Jaegerjaquez and his punk-ish appearance raised questions no parent ever wanted to ask. How unsurprising it would be if he turned out to be a gang member or some notorious criminal with a life of action and danger waiting for him. Those guys never settled for a quiet life, so Isshin would just have to rub one in his face until he left of his own volition.

Like Kisuke said: make it boring for them.

It didn’t take long before Ichigo returned with an acoustic guitar and left it on Grimmjow’s arms, interrupting his thoughts. Truth be told, the younger Kurosaki was kind of curious himself to see what would come out of it.

“Alright, I call this one _Glad you came._ ” Grimmjow announced.

Isshin made an expectant face. That didn’t sound too bad. Maybe Jaegerjaquez was an actually decent singer, who knew? It didn’t change the fact he still wanted the man out of his house, but at least then, if Urahara’s strategy failed, he’d feel microscopically less bad about it.

Ichigo made a similar expression. Then, he did a massive double take. By the time he spotted the double entendre, it was already too late.

“ _Baby your hair_ _wa_ _s like a halo in the sun,  
__I didn’t stand a chance, once I saw you I was done,”_

Both Kurosaki’s were caught off guard by the first few lines. And it wasn’t even that they were positively surprised by the tame lyrics: Grimmjow had a voice on him. Maybe it didn’t automatically impregnate women who heard it like he’d insist, but neither Ichigo nor Isshin had any doubts he would easily pick up many of them if he sat down in public with a guitar on his hands, and those vocals.

“ _I counted the freckles in your face,  
__A_ _nd I melted away in your embrace,”_

Ichigo’s heart jumped at the lyrics. Grimmjow was more observant than he gave him credit for. Ichigo had freckles, but they were so light, so subtle, nearly no one ever noticed them unless they were pointed out…

Or if they looked at him for too long. It was a thought too strange to have.

He pushed it back and tried focusing on Grimmjow’s improvising instead. Who would have told he’d have a talent for music and lyricism? Unless for some very weird reason Grimmjow actually sat down and thought up a song about him, with the foresight that it would at some point turn out to be useful.

Ichigo didn’t want to give him _that_ much credit.

“ _And as we both set up our pace  
__I was glad you came, glad you came, glad you came._ ”

Ichigo glanced at his dad, and found him actually enjoying the melody. So Isshin hadn’t caught up just yet. Fair enough. So far it was turning out a lot more innocent than he thought, but Ichigo knew better than to hope for the best. Grimmjow didn’t just ask for things without ulterior reasons. He might not have known him that well, but he spent enough time with him already to know  _that._

Naturally, Grimmjow did not disappoint.

“ _Baby if it was up to me_  
_I would never leave you be  
__I would stick to you like gum”_

“ _I would take you from this place,_  
_We’d move straight into third base  
__And I’d make you come, make you come, make you come.”_

Ichigo just wanted the ground to open up a hole and swallow him hole.

Yeah, that sounded like a wonderful idea, maybe he’d even go dig himself one, jump in there, and never get out.

“ _Yeah Baby I will steal you  
__I will lock you in my room_

_I will keep you there for days_  
_I will blow you till you're dazed  
_ _And be glad you came, glad you came, glad you came.”_

He glanced at his father, and groaned.

The corner of Isshin’s lips occasionally twitched, like he just had an aneurysm. Hell, for all Ichigo knew, he might have.

Grimmjow put down the guitar, looking all too pleased with himself, and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for praise.

Again, that awful silence that felt like it weighted a ton, hovered above them, lingered. Ichigo opened his mouth to put the appalling little moment behind them and move on, when he was interrupted.

With a harshness that probably hurt his own hands, Isshin clapped.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

Hard.

He let out a shuddering exhalation from his nose and a compliment from his lips, and Ichigo realized something that he hadn’t yet.

He was screwed.

His dad was clapping. The man who threw a tupperware to Grimmjow’s skull wasn’t there anymore. Isshin had a new resolve in him.

“Bravo.” Isshin congratulated with an unfitting high voice. “What… talent.”

It was Grimmjow’s turn to wear a forced smile. He slowly turned towards Ichigo with a look that said everything:

_What. The. Fuck._

Ichigo could only stare back.

Isshin’s mind was racing a thousand miles per hour, fast enough that he couldn’t really grab any particular thought and focus on it alone.

But he tried.

What was he feeling? He was feeling like strangling Jaegerjaquez. Yes, there was a coherent idea. But not one he could use right now, no matter how deserved it would have been, because **A**. his son would never forgive him, and **B**. He had to play nice for now.

Yes, playing nice. That was idea number two. He had to be encouraging. Isshin clapped. Even if he was imagining Grimmjow’s smurf-like head being squashed between his hands, it was still a gesture of approval. He remembered Urahara’s advise.

Clapping wasn’t enough. He couldn’t just be accepting of their relationship. He had to be Accepting, with capital A. Encouraging to the point where it would scare them for the next century. He had very big doubts that would work though – so far the night was being a complete disaster.

For him, of course. Grimmjow probably wouldn’t get rid of that infuriating smirk even if Isshin gave in and tried slapping it off of him.

Jaegerjaquez didn’t have any shame. He’d have to aim for the other half of the couple, and hope his son still had common sense lodged in that orange head of his.

“It’s truly brilliant” Isshin congratulated him further. “In fact, I think it’s a shame if nobody else hears it.”

“Dad, don’t--”

“So you want a repeat?” Grimmjow raised an eyebrow – the night was getting progressively more bizarre, and he was starting to worry he’d end it with a knife sticking out of his stomach, courtesy of the family man.

“Of course. But with the audience I think it deserves!”

“Dad, you heard what he said-” Ichigo interrupted, looking for any excuse not to have something like that happen. “Women. They just can’t listen to it.”

He actually winced as soon as he said those words.

“Well that is no concern, is it?” Isshin smiled, turning towards Grimmjow. “I can tell this young man only has eyes for my son. Too bad for the ladies, eh?”

“Of course. I just didn’t want trouble within the family, you know?” Grimmjow didn’t miss a beat. “I think Yuzu has the same taste as her brother.”

His taunt was light-hearted enough, but when Isshin’s large hand hit the surface of the table hard.

Grimmjow’s hand shot out to reach Ichigo’s arm.

Ichigo didn’t back away from it either. For a moment there, he wondered if his dad finally reached his limit. Isshin stood up from his seat, the hit reverberating through the glasses and cutlery of the table.

Maybe they both pushed him too far. Maybe he was now going on a homicidal spree. His eyes certainly told of it.

“Ah ah, I don’t imagine you to be her type!” Isshin defended with heavy eyes, disguising his sudden outburst.

Grimmjow looked down his own arm, and while his heart nervously beat in his chest, he tried to focus on that small, unforeseen reassurance.

His hand, still wrapped around Kurosaki’s wrist, connected.

It seemed like Ichigo was doing the same thing, because when blue eyes went up to his face, they found warm brown ones mirroring that movement.

As Isshin added something completely incoherent, they swiftly parted, both flushed. Ichigo rested his hands on the table, and Grimmjow kept his firmly over his lap. Grimmjow faced the tall, angry man ahead of him again. No, the night wasn’t going well for him at all.

Trying to save face, Isshin walked up to Grimmjow and wrapped a huge arm around his shoulders. That little table smack? Just a joke between a husband and his future father-in-law, of course.

“Actually, the first person that came to mind was Kisuke himself!” Isshin continued, the little moment between the two going unnoticed. “What a great introduction that would be.”

 _And what a great way to show him exactly how bad this boy is,_ Isshin thought, because telling him about it never quite had the same impact as having him see the real deal for himself.

“Ah, the so called extended family?” Grimmjow gathered back his wits after that moment of unease.

“Of course. I look forward to introduce him to my second son!” Isshin smiled brightly as his arm around Grimmjow tightened almost threateningly.

What was wrong with this old man? Grimmjow wasn’t easily intimidated, especially not with people twenty years his senior, but this jackass was deceivingly strong, and he was _not_ appreciating the close contact. He was actually starting to see how he scared off lesser boyfriends. It was just too bad for him that Grimmjow was not a lesser anything.

He looked up and offered Isshin a wandering look, parting his lips with feigned innocence until the older man noticed his expression.

“Second son?” Grimmjow whispered as Isshin looked down at him, not knowing what to expect.

“Of course.” Isshin offered.

“Thank you...” Grimmjow softly smiled… “Dad.”

Isshin went completely rigid, even as his arm remained around Grimmjow’s shoulders in that invasive way.

Ichigo just rubbed his forehead again, a recurring as of late headache finally making its appearance.

Those two… He had to put an end to this.

Fast.

 

* * *

 

 

The night couldn’t have ended quickly enough for any of them. After just another half an hour of mutual torment, Grimmjow and Ichigo finally said their farewells and left. It was a work day the next day after all. For Ichigo at least.

As that little mental note took root, he  found himself a bit bothered for not knowing what Grimmjow did for a living either. He knew he spent time at the gym, that he smoked, that he was short on cash, and that he apparently didn't have that many friends. Only an hour ago did he learn Grimmjow could sing and play guitar nicely enough.

After that, his knowledge ended. He always had to remind himself this was not a permanent friendship, or real, even if he craved to know a bit more sometimes. 

Once they walked far enough from his father’s house, they stopped.

Awkwardly.

Grimmjow was not expecting the abrupt halt and turn, and walked straight into Ichigo.

“Sorry.” Grimmjow muttered, before scoffing at his own apology.

They stood at the middle of an empty street that looked almost eerie in its silence. There was only a street light high above them where dozens of small moths flew around clumsily, allowing them to see each other..

Ichigo frowned, and swallowing dry, he looked down at his legs and reached for his jeans’ pocket. He took out his wallet, pulling a twenty from it. Just that gesture made him feel indescribably filthy. And at the same time, a bit used.

“So I guess...” He handed the bill, waiting for Grimmjow to take it.

Grimmjow however, was giving it a dirty look, like it was personally insulting him. Still, he took a deep breath, reaching for the bill.

“So, hm.” Ichigo looked at him. “See you?”

“Yeah, I mean.” Grimmjow avoided that look, shoving his hands and the bill in the pockets of his worn out jacket. “If you’re up for it.”

“I guess… one more time?”

“You guess?”

Ichigo shrugged.

“It’s not going to be free of charge, is it?”

They stood in the same place, still looking at each other, neither of them feeling right.

The question didn’t get an answer, but then again it wasn’t really expecting one…

Grimmjow didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t ready to say anything either.

He knew the moment he told Ichigo something worth knowing, he’d never see him again. And he wasn’t about to throw easy cash away for a dumb gamble like that either.

“Get lost already.” Grimmjow smirked, hair gone from blue to silver under the warm street lights.

Ichigo kept his eyes on him for a few more moments, reminded of the conversation they had earlier. He blurted out his thoughts without thinking as soon as he was told Grimmjow got mocked for his appearance as a kid. It was just hard to imagine a time when Grimmjow wasn't pretty. Ichigo hadn't noticed it at first, but he saw it now with perfect clarity, under the dim night lights. Or perhaps he was just getting used to his appearance and starting to enjoy it more than he should.

“Tsk.” Ichigo, who looked back at his shoes like they were fascinating, reddened at whatever thought he had.

Still, he turned around and went on his way before Grimmjow could ask about it.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

Ichigo’s friends couldn't hide their annoyance, as he walked ahead of them towards the usual place.

They all liked to vary their Friday nights a bit, none of them too big on sticking around the same area for too long. After all, things got old pretty quickly, and they were all about experimentation. It was an unspoken agreement of theirs.

Somewhere along the way though, Ichigo seemed to have changed his mind. He suggested they went to Hueco Mundo, much like they’d gone to the other two weeks before, and didn’t wait for them to shoot down his idea. He just headed there straight away.

“So is this going to be our hangout now?” Orihime asked as she rushed to keep up. “The drinks are a bit overpriced...”

Tatsuki knew exactly why they were heading there, and she was just miffed enough about it to tease him.

“Ichigo wants to meet up with his boyfriend.” She taunted him on the way, to which he only grumbled something under his breath.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t all too defensive about it. Ichigo assured himself there was no reason to be. It was a nice place, and if he had any ulterior motives involving Grimmjow, they more than not had to do with the stupid plan _she_ encouraged, and the fact that his dad destroyed the only other way he could talk to Grimmjow – his phone.

If the place was nice, and he could talk to him about their scheme, might as well kill those two birds with one stone, right? Right.

As they entered the bar, Orihime threw Tatsuki a weary look.

Ichigo stopped near the entrance as he spotted the bright blue hair by the bar once again, this time with an attractive woman leaning all over him, waiting for attention.

“Trouble in paradise?” Ishida spoke first, with an unimpressed voice that couldn’t quite hide his curiosity.

Ichigo frowned. Maybe because he was so used to seeing Grimmjow by himself, his sole company being the drink on his hand. Looks like he was wrong though. Grimmjow clearly had people interested. How could he not? He was a good looking guy. To his dismay, Ichigo found himself thinking of it during the week that passed by.

He didn’t tell anyone about it. It’d have to stay his little, very embarrassing secret.

Ichigo actually tried rationalizing it all when he had free time to himself, and to a certain extent he figured it out. Grimmjow incepted this idea in his head that made him more than just a little bi-curious. He'd been throwing subtle glances at men he walked past on the street, or even the best looking patients and coworkers he had at the hospital, trying to make some sort of appreciation of them.

To his dismay, he found that his sudden curiosity was an almost Grimmjow exclusive thing. Nobody had quite the same charm, although he wasn't sure charm was the word he was looking for to describe a guy that made him as mad and embarrassed as Jaegerjaquez did… A fact that quickly made him realize he had to end things before his brain started wondering too much about things it shouldn’t.

Or even before he started caring about scenes like the one in front of him a bit too much.

 _Look at that woman._ He thought,  _she’s practically on his lap._

“Ichigo?” Orihime caught back his attention.

He turned around to face his friends, looking at him with a mix of impatience and understanding. Ichigo felt his face go red, as he turned to look for a table, like he wasn’t just caught staring. Still, even after they found a place to sit down and relax, Ichigo kept throwing glances at the bar and at the unsubtle couple there.

“God, Ichigo.” Tatsuki complained. “Just go there.”

“What?” He turned to face her.

“You’re staring at him since we got here. And don’t even try denying he’s the reason we’re here in the first place.” She frowned, his other friends looking at him in the same unimpressed manner.

Ichigo was starting to feel trapped.

“It’s just that… I'm paying him plenty to fool everyone and he's just out in public, flirting with women.” He defended himself.

“So? Your dad isn’t here.” Ishida sided with Tatsuki.

“Anyone can just walk in and see it, you know?” Ichigo persisted. “And then they’ll go tell my dad about it.”

"And risk making him look like even worse of a love interest. That sure wouldn't fit your plans." Ishida's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Ichigo wanted to smack himself for finding his own excuse lackluster. But in times of crisis, deny, deny, deny.

“You’re stretching it pretty thin, aren’t you?” Tatsuki sighed. “Just admit you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.” Ichigo frowned. “I just told you what the problem was.”

“The problem is you don’t like seeing him flirt with someone else while you’re right there.” She continued, not worried with his growing annoyance.

Grimmjow by himself was more than enough to fill Ichigo’s head with stupid ideas, he didn’t need his actual friends to start encouraging his rotten thoughts.

“Well,” Orihime added. “You shouldn’t be upset, he’s not paying her much attention.”

Yet, despite all his denial, he turned turned his head to face Grimmjow again as soon as he heard those words. Orihime made a good observation. While that woman wasn’t undeterred by it in the least, Grimmjow didn’t seem to be returning much of the affection.

“God, you’re so obvious.” Tatsuki raised at eyebrow at him, and once again, Ichigo turned to his group of friends, feeling caught.

“Just go there, Kurosaki.” Ishida motioned. “You’ll be a little less ridiculous if you show some initiative.”

“Look,” Ichigo stared, speaking to all of them. “I don’t know what got through your head, but you said it yourself, he is the worst possible pick anyone could make, so--”

“Ichigo.”

Chad’s voice shut him up. He looked at his quiet friend, and nearly withered away under that calm look.

He didn’t tell his friends most of anything, especially as far as his relationships were concerned. He told them about Grimmjow’s creative ways of annoying his father, and he even admitted to them that he didn’t know much else about him – something that carried a certain and careless implication, of  _wanting_  to learn more. But he never mentioned Nelliel, or how discouraged he felt when his head jumped straight to assumptions about her and Grimmjow. He never said anything that would compromise his feelings the least bit either. And the few things he did learn about Grimmjow, he chose to keep to himself for no particular reason.

Somehow, they still seemed to be picking up on his interest. Ichigo was trying not to think about it, but now this was getting stupid. Borderline nonsensical. Like hell he'd get jealous of anyone who caught Grimmjow’s eye when he knew first hand how annoying and infuriating that man could be? But there he found himself, against all logic and rationality, feeling relieved when Orihime pointed out Grimmjow was impervious to that woman’s seduction, just like he did when Nelliel showed no interest.

He didn’t know what to make of his own little possessive strike. He didn’t fancy Grimmjow or anything, he just...

He rubbed his forehead, and looked at Grimmjow again from the corner of his eye, noticing him finally saying something to that woman. And by the smile on her lips, it hadn’t been a rejection. Chad was still looking at him, reading his disquiet clearly. Then, he nodded at him, his own little encouragement.

Ichigo sighed, and pulled on his most annoyed frown.

“Whatever.” He shrugged off, and stood from the table. “I don’t need you guys to believe me. I have to talk to him anyway.”

“Go get him tiger.”

Ichigo threw Tatsuki one last embarrassed look, before walking away.

 

* * *

  
Grimmjow was pathetic.

No, really, he was. There was no other reason for him to be at this specific bar on this specific night if not for how pathetic he was.

Kurosaki came here often. Or at least it seemed so, because he showed up for the last two weeks at around this hour. Why Grimmjow felt that was a good reason to drop by was a bit of a mystery. And worse yet, he thought of all that while he was completely sober, so he couldn’t even blame it on drunken stupidity. He hoped to see Kurosaki. That was that. They had a deal that helped him out plenty, and he wasn’t about to overthink it.

Unfortunately for him, tonight someone decided to ignore his constant frown and dirty clothes and cover up around 70% of his peripheral vision, so now, instead of watching over his shoulder for a bright flash of orange, he kept his eyes fixed ahead, lest a large pair of tits poke them into his sockets.

She was hot, and she was looking for a good time. Any other day and he would have taken her up on her offer, but he felt like this night he was a bit too distraught to get it up for her.

“So what’s your real hair colour?” She brushed his strands softly, not bothered by his distance in the least.

“Mystery.” Grimmjow let out a short answer.

“Hmm, I’d like to find out myself.”

She wondered, licking her lips, pressing herself so close against his arm that he could smell alcohol on her breath.

 _Well it ain’t fucking blue._ He thought.

Unlike Kurosaki’s, his own mess wasn’t natural. His treacherous brain couldn’t let go of that knowledge.

That, ladies and gentlemen, was why the guy in his pants wasn’t stiffening for this chick. The past week, all he could think about was Kurosaki. Everything reminded him of him, one way or another, and it was beyond frustrating. For one, because he wasn’t all that interested in making friends or everlasting relationships. But also because he had no business thinking about whether Kurosaki’s carpet matched the drapes or not.

He was pretty damn mad at himself for even allowing that thought to form inside his head. Fuck it.

He offered the woman a smile. He didn’t even catch her name, but maybe she was exactly what he needed. A drunken fuck, a nice warm bed and a nice warm body to keep him busy and out of strawberry land.

“How do you plan on finding that out?” He took the bait, and she leaned in on his ear with a sultry voice and fruity perfume.

“I can demonstrate.” She started.

“Yeah?” His cheek twitched.

It was about the only thing in his body that was twitching. Nope, this wasn’t doing it for him.

“Not here. Someplace warmer.” She nibbled his ear.

His hand was fixed on his glass of cheap whiskey, and he moved it to watch the drink swirl away. It was a bit hypnotizing, watching it glint in the lights of the bar, a deep rich and golden tone that went from a warm yellow to a bright…

...orange.

He clenched the glass tightly, wanting nothing more than to throw it at someone. Someone special. Someone like the woman pestering him and turning a blind eye to his disinterest for the past ten minutes.

“What’s this.”

His heart all but stopped at the voice that came from behind his neck. The small hairs on his skin rose, and a large, not the least bit female arm wrapped around him from behind. The woman that had been leaning on him backed away to give way to a touch just as intrusive. This one though, made him grunt in satisfaction.

Oh, he was hating himself more than just a little bit for it.

It was Kurosaki, with a devious smile that suited him far too well – with just a hint of genuine anger behind it – speaking too close to his ear.

“I leave my boyfriend alone for a few hours, and he’s already flirting with other people.”

“Boyfriend?” The woman spluttered, looking at them both with wide eyes.

Grimmjow tensed, and only then did he realize how firmly he was being trapped. His back teeth ground together as he pulled himself out of his reverie and became aware of what was happening.

“Damn right.” Ichigo said, eyes fixed on Grimmjow.

The woman pressed her lips tightly together, throwing Grimmjow an ugly look before walking away with a murmured excuse.

Grimmjow turned around roughly, all but pushing Ichigo away from him.

“What the hell are you playing at, Kurosaki?” He snarled.

Ichigo exhaled with impatience, taking the now vacant seat next to Grimmjow.

“What are  _you_  playing at? Don’t just flirt with women in public where anyone can see you.”

“Who the fuck is going to see me here?” Grimmjow spat back.

“I’d rather not find out.” Ichigo crossed his arms.

The attitude was infuriating. More so because seeing Kuroski in person wasn’t doing Grimmjow’s sanity any favours. He liked that burning look on his face. But he was sidetracking. Kurosaki still had no fucking business telling him off when he was on his way to get some.

“I know I’m a pretty good actor, Kurosaki, but newsflash: we’re not dating.”

“Tsk.” Ichigo shook it off. Grimmjow didn’t need to know he was feeling just a bit possessive. “I’m just paying you, right?” He relented. “We need to talk business.”

Grimmjow snorted.

“Tomorrow?”

“Remember that guy my father wanted to introduce you to?”

Grimmjow nodded.

“Well, he invited him for lunch.”

“So I’m meant to go there and piss off more of your family. Nothing new.” Grimmjow leaned his elbow on the bar balcony. “Is that why you cock blocked me?”

“You didn’t look that excited to me.” Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

“Right, because you know what gets me on.” Grimmjow mocked.

Ichigo opened his mouth before realizing he had nothing against that statement. He forced himself to shut down his curiosity before it got to show, but unfortunately it took him far too long.

“What?” Those dull eyes came to life when Grimmjow’s lips turned to a haughty smile. “Don’t tell me you  _want_  to know.”

“I’ll pass.” Ichigo frowned.

“You’d rather find out by yourself, yeah?” Grimmjow didn’t miss a beat, hooking his foot on Ichigo’s stool’s legs and dragging it closer.

“I’m sorry I cock blocked you, Grimm.” Ichigo narrowed his eyes, unable to hide the smirk on his lips. “But I can’t replace that charming lady.”

“Of course you can’t. Different anatomy and all.” Blue eyes traveled up and down Ichigo’s body.

Ichigo had a sudden urge to kick Grimmjow for it.

“Also lack of interest.”

Grimmjow frowned.

“You know who’d be interested?”

“If this is another sister joke, you can go fuck yourself.” Ichigo warned.

“Ouch.” Grimmjow smirked. “I’d rather you fuck me…”

Ichigo smacked him away, scowling at that rehearsed sultry look.

“Dad’s not here, you can cut the innuendos.”

“Weren’t you worried about someone seeing?” Grimmjow called him out. “Or are you afraid I’ll run out of them? You shouldn’t, with a prude like you around they come easily.”

“Why? A prude like me makes you think about it a lot?”

Grimmjow actually gagged at the comeback. Shamefully, it took him a noticeable second to recover from it.

“If that’s what you like to imagine.”

“I think you’re the imaginative one between us.” Ichigo glanced away.

Grimmjow frowned, like he was caught doing something all too compromising. He actually hadn’t thought about it that much before, but just the suggestion he had was bringing a lot of very new, very graphic images to his head. 

Of Kurosaki, bobbing his head while a harsh hand grasped his hair and guided him.

Jesus fucking Christ. No.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He tried for a reply, that just left Ichigo raising an eyebrow at him.

Grimmjow averted his eyes, but they fell on another little oddity.

On the other side of the bar, much like the previous week, Kurosaki’s group of friends was sitting and staring intently at both of them. The black haired girl had the worst face of them all: she was grinning at him like she  _knew_  the type of messed up thoughts that just crossed his mind. 

And he didn’t like it at all.

What was her name again? He’d been a bit too drunk on the night they met to remember it, but as far as he could recall, she’d been the worst of them all. Grimmjow wasn’t even aware of how long he’d been staring at them, until she blew a kiss in his direction.

What?

He looked back at Ichigo with a weary face.

“What?” Ichigo asked him, noticing the expression.

Grimmjow looked back at the table where Kurosaki’s friends were sitting by, and realized she wasn’t just throwing a kiss at him.

She was mocking them both. While two of the friends – the long haired girl and the tallest man – were offering him cheap looks, the other two were staring back at them with enamored faces, like they were watching a romance unfold. He frowned harshly at them, feeling his lip twitch into a snarl.

“Ugh...” Ichigo moaned, catching his attention. “Just ignore them.”

Grimmjow faced him again without bothering to hide his annoyance.

“What’s up with that?”

“They’ve been...” Ichigo hesitated. “Making fun of me?”

“Why?” Grimmjow demanded.

He grew just a bit more curious at Ichigo’s reluctance to answer.

“Make a guess.”

Grimmjow paused, looking at Kurosaki’s dismayed face until a somewhat wishful thought came to mind. He risked saying it out loud.

“So you have a crush on me?”

“I don’t.” Ichigo scowled.

“They don’t seem to agree.”

“They’re idiots.”

Grimmjow smirked, even as he tried not to.

He shouldn't be feeling all too happy about Kurosaki’s buddies trying to set them both up. He had enough inappropriate thoughts on his own. Flirting, making dirty jokes, that was something he was good at no matter the person. He rarely ever meant anything by it, unless there was an actual opportunity to get in someone’s pants. Kurosaki wasn’t about to let him in his. Not that he wanted him to. 

So what if he entertained a few dirty thoughts? He was a man, around 80% of his daily introspection was about sex anyway.

“So, you want to do something?” Ichigo broke the silence.

“Hm?” Grimmjow looked at him again. “Like join your Scooby gang? No thanks.”

“No way.” Ichigo smirked. “I have some self preservation left.”

“Not much if you’re still here.” Grimmjow taunted.

“Hm. It's because I was thinking the other day that _I_ don’t actually know much about _you_.” Ichigo tried, but he saw an almost imperceptible tension that reached Grimmjow’s shoulders as soon as he spoke.

“Not much to know.”

“Give me something.”

“My hobbies are going to bars alone, and not being bothered.” Grimmjow snarled at him.

“What do you do for a living?” Ichigo was undeterred.

“I scare away annoying families.”

Ichigo pressed his lips tightly together. He didn’t want to be discouraged so easily – he could tell Grimmjow was the sort of person who pushed back before letting someone in – but that avoidance was so blatant, like he genuinely didn’t want Ichigo around him unless there was money in his hands.

“How old are you?” He tried again, his voice losing the confidence it had.

This time at least, Grimmjow answered.

“Twenty-four.”

“I’m older than you.” Ichigo actually sounded surprised.

“You want a medal for that?” The blue haired man snarled.

Ichigo went quiet. Looked like this was all he was getting. He was never one to give up so easily, or take things too personally, but he wasn’t about to push himself into someone who wasn’t interested in the least.

Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe he was looking at Grimmjow through pink colored lenses, and thought that because that man was growing on him, that the reverse was happening too. No such luck.

“Alright.” Ichigo stood up. “See you tomorrow at noon, on 700th street.”

Grimmjow’s lips parted as he looked at the other man, half cursing himself for knowing he drove Kurosaki away. Despite the resistance to the prying, he didn’t hate the company. It was nice. He reluctantly admitted to himself that much.

Grimmjow pushed that thought away and did a double take of the words.

“700th street?”

“We’re going to a restaurant.”

Concern glowed in blue eyes, and Ichigo caught it too quickly for comfort.

“We’re paying for it, don’t worry.”

Grimmjow seemed to relax a bit, but still let out his snappy comment as usual.

“I wasn’t worried.”

Ichigo didn’t bother responding though.

With a defeated look, he walked away.

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your support! <3 Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated!  
> I did a cover art for this fic, it's right on the first chapter if you're curious. Hope you enjoy!

700th street was crowded with restaurants, and not a single one of them looked affordable, at least not to a guy like him. He fidgeted with the brim of his shirt, feeling completely misplaced as passerby's from a world so different to his own chatted on with their friends. He stayed in his corner, hoping to see before being seen, cautiously placing himself just behind a potted plant from another restaurant's esplanade. As Grimmjow stood there, trying to spot Kurosaki and his nutcase of a family, he rationalized that being once again recognized in public by someone who knew him – like Nelliel - was why he was nervous in the first place.

The last thing he needed was another idiot like her catching him off guard in front of them again.

He didn’t even know why they bothered inviting him in the first place. He did everything to be unpleasant, but his attitude didn’t seem to throw the Kurosakis off. Grimmjow half expected to have been kicked out and sent packing already, to the point where any additional work at this point felt like more trouble than what it was worth. He didn’t really want to go out for lunch. To be honest he was at a stage where he’d rather spend time with Kurosaki alone than put up with his relatives another minute.

That was a thought he grunted at as soon as he caught it.

Everything remotely orange still caught his eyes. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, and most times he’d just end up getting burned. Orange hair on his peripheral was usually a bleaching gone wrong, not nearly as bright or - god forbid - pleasant looking at what he was looking for. The sunset was orange, hard liquor too, and even the incandescence of his cigarettes was. His days had too many moments in which he suppressed the wishful thinking of replacing any of those things for some company.

But just as he was near the brink of distraction he sees them. A group of five people that included the beacon that was Kurosaki's head, his old man, the twin sisters, and some other person with shaggy blond hair that was probably that family friend they mentioned.

Grimmjow gritted his teeth. He felt like there were worms crawling all over his stomach.

He came out of his hiding spot, and all too quickly, they spotted him.

All the way on the other end of the street, Urahara couldn’t tell anyone apart in the large crowd’s back and forth, but it only took Ichigo about ten seconds before he waved his arm at someone in the distance, maybe a bit too enthusiastically for someone who was supposed to be faking interest.

As their guest approached, he sort of understood why. After all, Isshin did say Jaegerjaquez cleaned up nicely, but even when he clearly wasn’t cleaned up, he was still a pretty good looking boy. Better yet, Yuzu seemed to agree, from the way cheeks brightened her smile. Urahara had been looking forward to meeting the so called parental-nightmare, he just wasn’t quite expecting said nightmare to have charmed half of the family so easily.

And he was definitely counting Ichigo in the charmed half.

“Babe.” Jaegerjaquez greeted as he reached them, looking past Ichigo to notice Isshin vaguely waving at him like he swallowed a toad. Ignoring him, Grimmjow took in the blond beside him.

He got the immediate feeling that man was staring at him with _too much interest,_ like he was a circus show, and his instincts were rarely ever wrong.

“Grimm.” Ichigo caught his attention.

Grimmjow ignored the nickname and wrapped his arm around Ichigo’s waist before facing the rest of the family. He really was starting to tire of this, and the awkward silence that ensued didn't help his case. It was too quiet... too anticipating.

Right away, he could tell something was off.

The blond man raised his eyebrows at them, like he was waiting for something. Grimmjow and Ichigo switched a curious look.

“Don’t hold back because of me.” The blond smiled at them. “You can kiss.”

Grimmjow’s shoulders tensed, feeling the same dismay in Kurosaki’s posture.

Kiss?

He called it. That guy was bad news. It was the first time he opened his mouth, and he was already screwing up his plans. Neither Ichigo nor Grimmjow, however, expected Urahara’s sudden ally.

“Actually I don’t think I ever saw you two kiss.” Karin crossed her arms, way too amused. “Is it because we’re here?”

“No.” Ichigo blurted out.

He was already expecting Urahara to pry. His sister though, that was a betrayal he hadn’t anticipated. She _knew_ this was a joke, and she still suggested that just to put them both on the spot.

They had to find a way to salvage the situation…

Or maybe just kiss.

That wouldn’t be too bad, right?

Grimmjow threw Ichigo’s lips an uncertain look. For some reason the thought of kissing Kurosaki carried a bit more to it than the sake of appearances, like something that if he followed through, he couldn’t turn back around from.

“We like to kiss in private.” He smirked, turning back to the scheming family. “Once we start, it’s hard to stop.”

Karin scoffed at the poor excuse, but the blond man wasn’t having it.

“Oh go ahead, I’ll even close my eyes! It’d be so depressing if two handsome lovebirds had to hold back because of their families!”

Ichigo looked cautiously at Grimmjow, but he hadn't given up looking for a solid excuse to say no. Still, he felt it in his spine, something he could only really compare to dread. Which wasn't quite right, because the thought of doing that wasn't really a scary one.

"Go on." Urahara urged.

Blue eyes met his while Ichigo’s family waited, but his heart was going too quickly on his chest to see the hesitation in them. All they knew was a deep blue. Frog eyes, but very beautiful ones. Maybe if Grimmjow was a girl... No. He was not heading down that steep, because the gender at the end of it would probably not matter. Ichigo didn't want to kiss him. He just maybe wouldn't mind it so much. And maybe that was where the dread lay, that  _he_ wouldn't mind kissing a guy who's in it for a farse.

With his lips firmly shut, Grimmjow straightened his back with a bizarre resolve.They would just have to peck and get done with it. It wasn’t that big of a deal, even if he’d rather keep Kurosaki's mouth far away from his own.

After all, out of sight, out of mind.

Yet, before Ichigo had the chance to land back in the present and have any actual say in the matter, Grimmjow invaded his personal space bubble, and with clear resolve to be the most inappropriate he could be, shoved his freezing hands under Ichigo’s shirt and moved in for a kiss.

So that was his idea? Heading straight for the rated R display??

Ichigo’s eyes widened in alarm, but his body all but jumped towards Grimmjow, a knee-jerk reaction from having the two ice blocks that were his hands on the bare skin of his back. Urahara’s eyes actually widened, completely misreading it.

Fortunately, someone else misunderstood.

“Ah boys!” Isshin all but jumped between them. “Don’t feel so pressured to showcase your affection! Kisuke over here is an old pervert, don’t mind him!”

As unsubtly as possible, Isshin pulled Grimmjow away from Ichigo-.

“So, Jaegerjaquez, this is Urahara Kisuke. He’s a good family friend.” Isshin waved his hand towards his accomplice.

“A bit like an estranged uncle, if I may say so myself.” Urahara introduced himself, offering Grimmjow a handshake.

Grimmjow, with his brain still down the kissing gutter, didn’t even think before taking it. Right away, he quietly cussed himself.

 _No. Bad impression, I have to make a bad impression_ , he remembered, and tucked another thought in the corners of his mind,  _Ichigo's skin is very soft._

“I heard plenty of you.” Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as they parted.

“Likewise.” Urahara smiled.

Grimmjow tensed again. Of course he heard about him. Isshin must have spent hours complaining about his son’s new boyfriend, which was exactly as it should be. Yet, that promise of disapproval only made him more weary. This Urahara guy had a comeback way too quickly on his lips, like he was onto him.

Ichigo spoke over the tense mood.

“We’re going to _Pulcinella’s_. It’s a pizzeria, you like that, right?”

Urahara tilted his head at the question. It was the type of thing Ichigo should have known already if he was trying to be convincing.

“Yeah...” Grimmjow nodded, as his eyes roamed through the street until he found one little facade with that very name written on it.

It was no _Domino's_. Didn't sound cheap. Didn't fucking _look_ cheap either.

“Worry not, son-in-law!” Isshin burst through the quiet. “It’s all on me, after all, I invited you all here!”

“I wouldn’t have come otherwise.” Grimmjow looked away.

Urahara raised an eyebrow. Isshin blew the air right out of his nose at it, even though they had only just arrived.

“Well...” Yuzu spoke out, looking a bit embarrassed, as if the strange air around them was somehow her fault. “I was the one that suggested Italian, if you don’t like it we can just...”

“I said I like it.” Grimmjow blurted out, focusing his eyes on her.

Yuzu almost jumped at the sudden reaction, and Grimmjow became self aware of it too.

“I mean,” He continued. “I do like Italian. And I do like you, darling, so if you suggested this place then it ought to be good.”

Ichigo threw him a narrow eyed glare.

“So let’s do this.” He said, dragging Grimmjow away from her, and towards the restaurant entrance with him.

Behind them, Urahara kept reading their every gesture.

 

* * *

 

The place was full, but their reservation had been waiting for them for a while. It was a modern restaurant with a rustic decoration of red checkered towels, paintings of Mediterranean landscapes and black, Neapolitan masks.

Grimmjow was used to eating at Burger King on good days, so this was definitely an upgrade for him. As he went through the menu of pizzas and pastas, he hardly took note of the ingredients save for a few unusual exceptions. He wasn’t a picky guy anyway.

“White truffle pizza?” Ichigo seemed to echo his thoughts.

“It’s surprisingly good!” Yuzu explained.

“I don’t see pineapple pizza.” Isshin looked through the menu.

“Dad..." Karin rubbed her forehead.

“Well,” Urahara spoke up. “Why don’t we let our special guest choose the first one?”

Grimmjow tensed when all eyes at the table turned to him.

Fucking hell, he couldn’t even pronounce the pizza names, nor tell apart what half of the ingredients were. What the hell was a _bresaola_ anyway? He would have asked Ichigo, if the waiter wasn’t quietly waiting for his order.

“Hmm...” He looks at the menu once again, feeling just a tad pressured. “The _Del Generale_ one?”

If Grimmjow butchered the Italian, nobody mentioned it. They all went back to the ingredient list before Urahara smiled at him.

“Solid choice, Grimmjow. Good to have a decisive man in the family.”

“Right...”

“And look at that, it’s the most expensive one...” Isshin mumbled more to himself than to anyone.

“So, Jaegerjaquez, tell me about yourself.” Urahara continued. “I’m afraid I still don’t know much about you.”

“I’m nothing special.” He answered.

“Now, I don’t think that’s true.” Urahara smiled. “I know it’s common to be nervous when meeting the boyfriend’s family, but we’re all easy going people here.”

Grimmjow pretty much choked at those words. Nervous because of meeting the family? As if! 

“What do you do for a living?” Urahara tried again.

“I’m unemployed.” Grimmjow said with an unconcerned look, and Ichigo eyed him curiously.

“Really? What would you like to work in?” Urahara questioned.

“I always thought that if I had to work, maybe a strip club would be easy money.” Grimmjow stated, blankly, seriously, while Isshin choked on his drink. “But now that I’m dating a doctor--"

"Nurse." Ichigo quietly corrected.

"-nurse, I feel like he can just pay for the bills while I satisfy him. Plus, I get to see him with that sexy lil hospital outfit of his.”

“What?” Isshin snapped.

Ichigo kicked him from under the table.

“You know I’ll let you mooch out of love.” He said, with an annoyed face.

Ichigo was as bright as his hair by this point. He knew it was all part of the act, but he felt like smacking Grimmjow in the head. Did Grimmjow even know what an actual nurse looked like? Getting home late in plain green scrubs with bags under his eyes and the energy of a dead battery wasn’t a look to impress. Even his dad would see through that one.

Ichigo glanced at Isshin, who stabbed the table with his fork.

Or maybe not...

“Awww...” Urahara beamed.

Ichigo and Grimmjow turned to him, not as surprised as they could have been. If Isshin  decided to let out some anger against the furniture, then Urahara looked completely undeterred. The blond man actually leaned his chin on his hand, maybe just a little bit disappointed that they were trying so hard to look bad. It was almost cute of them.

There was an art to upsetting, and its name was  _subtlety._

“I always hoped you would find someone like that, Ichigo.” Urahara continued. “Someone to so selflessly love.”

“Yeah, good for me...”

“And a man as well, I never expected that from you.”

“You got a problem?” Grimmjow blurted out, actually catching Ichigo off guard.

“No, not at all! I have to say, I experimented quite a bit when I was in University.”

“Can we not?” Ichigo quietly protested, but it was to no avail. At least Grimmjow seemed a bit disarmed by it, as he took a sip of his glass while keeping a weary look on Urahara.

“Let me tell you, Jaegerjaquez, if I were twenty years younger, I would have definitely shared Ichigo’s taste.”

Grimmjow couldn’t stop himself from choking on his drink. Even Ichigo’s face reddened further than it already was.

“Nobody needed to hear that!” He complained.

“Oh? We’re all grown men here.” Urahara smirked, as Karin and Yuzu exchanged an unimpressed look. “We understand what these things entail.”

“Kisuke, lets not discuss private matters!” Isshin sheepishly pleaded.

The underlying request was clear enough: _please don't make me have to ear of my son's sex-life with my own two ears._

“I wouldn’t want to impose!” Urahara waved his hands disarmingly. “I just wanted to make it absolutely clear I am completely supportive of this relationship! In fact, I can distinctly remember good old Isshin calling you his son-in-law. Is there something you two want to tell me?”

“You know my dad overreacts with the affection.” Ichigo scowled.

“Are you saying there was no proposal?” Urahara asked.

“Of course not!” Ichigo said.

“Yet?” Urahara wiggled his eyebrows.

Ichigo stuttered, not knowing how to reply. Noticing the hesitation, Urahara carried on his relentless pursuit.

“You never introduced us to a boyfriend before, so it must be serious.”

“It is...” Ichigo insisted.

“So,” Urahara turned to a strangely quiet Grimmjow. “Are you hoping for the full family’s approval?”

Grimmjow didn’t know how to respond. There was something almost tangible on the unwavering chase Urahara was giving them that made him feel… inadequate?

“There is no marriage.” Ichigo suddenly blurted out, as that thought just came to his mind. “There is no gay marriage here.”

“Oh, that’s right... For now.” Urahara remembered.

Ichigo glanced at Grimmjow, actually surprised at the lack of his usually quick reactions. Could it be that he was actually capable of embarrassment? Because if he did, he picked a crappy moment to let that out.

“Not that I’d need anyone’s approval if there was.” Grimmjow tried to save face, as he noticed the look Ichigo was giving him.

“That’s the modern spirit!” Urahara cheered. “And who’s to say you need marriage to have a fulfilling relationship anyway?”

Even Isshin was struggling to keep up with his friend’s insistence.

“You can share a house, and it’s more or less the same.” The blond stated. “Minus a few tax cuts here and there. You can even have a few children of your own.”

“Children?” Ichigo choked.

“Imagine a mix of those two.” Urahara leaned his chin on his hand, endearingly. “Wonder what hair colour they would have. That would be an interesting mix.”

“We can’t--”

“What does mixing orange and blue give?” He asked no one in particular.

“Brown.” Karin answered.

“Maybe not that interesting...”

“That’s not possible.” Ichigo snapped.

“Oh, right… Adoption sounds like a good solution too. To us it would hardly matter. Your father especially always wanted cute grandchildren.”

“What?” Grimmjow protested before he could help himself.

“Of course that’d mean you need to find yourself a job, Jaegerjaquez, children are hard to sustain in this economy.”

“We don’t want children!” Grimmjow snapped, and Ichigo gave him a dismayed look.

He winced once he caught up with the words that left his mouth.

“What, truly?” Urahara tilted his head. “I suppose you have time, there’s no biological clock for men.”

Isshin took in the scene in front of him with a mix of confusion and strange satisfaction. Kisuke truly knew what he was doing as far as manipulating things to his liking went.

Both his son and Jaegerjaquez had a sort of panicked expression that gave him plenty of hope. Hope that it wouldn’t last, hope that they weren’t in it for the long run. More often than he’d like, Isshin wondered to himself if Jaegerjaquez was all that awaited his future, his fears fed by the small playful interactions between that man and his son. They were small, but constant, enough to make him worry.

Maybe he wouldn’t have to endure dirty innuendos about his son for the rest of his life. That was a welcome change of scenario.

“So, hypothetically speaking, in a wedding scenario, would either of you wear white?”

“Excuse me.” A new voice broke the conversation. Above them the waiter waited with two familiar pizzas on his hands. “Here’s two  _Generales_ _._ ”

Ichigo served himself and Grimmjow a slice without further wait. He was too embarrassed to talk, and there was no better way to keep their mouths quiet than busying them with food.

While everyone served themselves with small chatter, he chewed on a slice, absent minded, hoping to gods he wouldn’t have to have this conversation much longer. Figures Urahara would start planning the rest of his life. The more he talked about his fulfilling future with a fake-boyfriend, the more Ichigo wanted to get out of there.

He didn’t notice Grimmjow’s eyes on his mouth as the melted cheese stretched in strings from his lips. Urahara did though, and so did Isshin, who glanced at his friend with a frustrated look.

Urahara was curious though. There was a light pink dusting on Grimmjow’s cheeks as he saw Ichigo’s tongue dart out of his mouth to pull that cheese in. If he had some sort of oral fixation there, especially given their situation, that would be highly entertaining.

“So,” Urahara insisted on prying. “You said you weren’t too interesting, but you must be if Ichigo here took a liking to you. He’s very picky, you know? Introducing someone to us is a first for him.”

Ichigo nervously tapped his fork on his plate.

“I heard. I have some attributes he likes.”

“Like what?”

“Like my big--”

“Grimmjow!” Ichigo stopped him from finishing the sentence, before glancing at his father’s strained face. His voice showed his reluctance when he continued. “Shouldn’t I be the one naming them.”

“Oh!” Isshin suddenly seemed genuinely curious. “So what do you see in him?”

Ichigo and Urahara both gave his father a very sheepish look. 

 _Great,_ Ichigo cursed himself. _Now I have to actually answer._

What did he like about Grimmjow? He wasn’t kind or gentle, he wasn’t someone he could introduce to anyone without feeling embarrassed (even when they weren’t deliberately trying to throw people off). And every time they talked it ended with them throwing each other insults.

Sure, they weren’t too offended by them, but they didn’t stop being insults because of that.

There was nothing to like about him that he could name with a straight face. He just did. Without anything rational to justify it.

_I like him._

Catching his thoughts, Ichigo tried to save face.

_Well sure, as a friend._

Except they weren’t friends. The previous night, Grimmjow didn’t really seem to want him near. Ichigo was paying him to stick around, that wasn’t something anyone would describe as friendship. It was more like escorting. Grimmjow was his escort. One that he was getting feelings for. But vague, non-romantic ones. Yeah.

Fuck.

This was all Grimmjow’s fault. He’d been filling his head with nonsense about him being closeted and wanting him. All those dirty innuendos and all that flirting were getting to him in a way he hadn’t predicted.

And with a lot of indisposition, he realized he was kind of enjoying it. That stung. A lot, because while his instinct told him he was not alone in this, his reasoning warned that he was only setting himself up for disappointment.

“Son?” His father looked at him curiously, bringing him out of his internal conflict.

“Ahm, I--” Ichigo was at a loss for words.

_Think, Ichigo, think. Say something._

Nothing.

Grimmjow sighed impatiently.

“As I was saying,” He started. “He likes my large--”

“He’s just fun to mess around.” Ichigo blurted out, wanting to slap himself for how wrong that sounded. “Not like that, I mean- sure, maybe? But I mean like--”

Isshin opened his mouth, but didn’t say anything. He looked at his son questioningly, but much like him, Urahara and his two sisters seemed interested in what else he was going to say. Next to Ichigo, Grimmjow was frowning, but quietly listened.

Ichigo sighed, and pulled himself together. He could do this.

“I don’t have to be a certain way...” He continued, suddenly finding the right things to say. “I don’t have to hold the door for him, or act like I’m trying to win him over. I can joke around and he’ll joke back. I can reproach him and he won’t be mad… well, too mad. Even if he is we know those fights aren't important enough to last. I can be my snappy self around him.”

Ichigo fixed his eyes on his plate, as he realized everyone had theirs on him.

“And he can be his snappy self too, it won’t make me like him less.”

Grimmjow was now looking straight at him with an unreadable face. Karin had a smile on her lips that Ichigo couldn’t explain.

“So...” Ichigo suddenly felt awkward. “That’s it. We’re friends.”

The table fell silent, as he focused his attentions on his food. Grimmjow and Isshin were looking at him like he had two heads, and he didn’t know what the big deal was.

What the hell was he supposed to say to that question anyway? He thought he did a pretty solid job.

Grimmjow broke the silence by scoffing.

“Babe, you’re so silly.” He smirked, ignoring the fluttering feeling on his chest. “Friends don’t do the things we do in the bedroom.”

Even knowing he should have expected that answer, Ichigo’s heart still sunk a little once he heard it.

“Jaegerjaquez.” Isshin spoke up from his seat, facing Grimmjow with an uncharacteristically serious look.

Everybody at the table faced him, and even Urahara looked like he wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction. He understood what brought it up though. His friend always had an easy heart despite all his objections. Ichigo was always an awful liar, and that answer had been no lie.

The bright, blue haired man actually felt his pulse beating hard on his chest. Isshin was an idiot most times, but now… Now Grimmjow was – and he hated admitting it – nearly intimidated by that posture.

Besides killing his hunger a bit, this day was giving him too many nerves to be good.

“I’m happy to hear that.” Isshin finally smiled. “That you are also friends. Though, Ichigo, it’s not a bad idea to hold the door or buy something nice for your boyfriend every once in a while.”

Usually, it was Isshin who made strange, guttural noises, but this was Grimmjow’s turn to let out a sound much like a trapped animal. It sounded a bit like how Ichigo felt.

Isshin left the table and walked out of the dining room, alarming his son. His sisters and even Kisuke shared the surprise.

“Hey, where are you going?” Ichigo asked, worried that his father had given them some sort of seal of approval and was now heading towards the nearest window to jump off of it.

“Ah...” Isshin turned to his son with a contemplative face. “I need to use the toilet! I drank about three glasses of beer while waiting for the pizza.”

“Ugh, dad!” Ichigo twisted his nose, the mood gone with the wind.

“You know I have a high metabolism, it’s like a direct connection.”

“Just go!”

“Going!” Isshin jogged out of towards the public bathrooms, leaving his annoyed son behind.

Ichigo rubbed his head in dismay, while Grimmjow quietly stared at the large pizza in front of him…

… and served himself another dose.

“You must live at the gym to burn all that off.” Ichigo mumbled offhandedly as he glanced at Grimmjow.

Grimmjow actually froze midway through his devouring, but pulled himself back together swiftly.

Ichigo frowned. That didn’t go unnoticed to him. Actually, he vaguely remembered Nelliel saying something like that.

Every body else went quiet at the table, looking at them expectantly.

“So, what do you two do in the bedroom that a good friend wouldn’t?”

“Urahara!” Ichigo warned.

It was Yuzu who thankfully tried changing the conversation.

“Grimmjow, dad told me you sung.”

Ichigo actually spluttered. What was his dad thinking, actually telling Yuzu about Grimmjow’s deceivingly rotten talents? He didn’t actually think the old man would go through with it.

Grimmjow too looked at her completely caught off guard.

“He did?” He asked.

“Yes! I would love to hear you sing too.”

Karin looked from Grimmjow to Yuzu with a raised eyebrow.

“Hmm, uh...” Grimmjow looked at Ichigo for backup.

“Why don’t you name a song, Yuzu?” Ichigo tried.

Anything but one of Grimmjow’s original’s should be fine.

“I kind of like old stuff...” She looked at him sheepishly.

“How obscure can it be?” Grimmjow smirked.

Yuzu pressed her lips together with a blush.

“It's not obscure, but how about Frank Sinatra?” She suggested.

Grimmjow looked at her curiously. Of course he knew a song or two. Still, he wasn’t sure whether he should play the idiot or actually go through with it.

“I know the guy.” He settled.

“Yes?” Yuzu beamed at him.

Next to Grimmjow, Ichigo gave her a soft smile.

“Tell you what,” Grimmjow started. “Next time we meet up, you bring your brother’s old guitar, and I’ll play you a Sinatra song. How’s that?”

“Oh, a complete musician then?” Urahara smirked. “I was kind of hoping I’d get to hear it now.”

“Why the hurry?” Ichigo faced him, knowing all too well that man’s intentions weren’t good.

“Well, you’ll just have to invite me over again sometime then.” Urahara hinted.

“The more the merrier.” Grimmjow said, undeterred.

Then, Ichigo realized what was happening.

Just like that, they were planning another day together.

He looked down on his plate again, suddenly too self-conscious about his open speech.

Grimmjow was acting civil. It made sense, why should he bother when Isshin wasn’t around to rip his hairs off at his indecency? But it was nerve wracking how convincing everything felt right now.

Another day meant he’d have to pay him for his work. That was all it was: work, no matter how well Grimmjow was faking it. And Ichigo was just allowing himself to be played right then, because Grimmjow swiftly invited himself for another round of tormenting.

Grimmjow saw Ichigo from the corner of his eye, lost in thoughts as he often tended to be.

This time, he didn’t seem contemplating so much as upset, and Grimmjow’s head immediately rushed to figure out the reason.

Like a bucket of ice cold water dropped over his head, he realized he just extended their plans for another day. He slipped. It was all too easy when everyone kept encouraging them instead of being horrified like he expected them to, but then again, their deal has been expanding since the very beginning, and Ichigo never seemed to mind it that much. Probably he was just being paranoid.

He glanced back at Urahara, and noticed the blond’s calculating work. He just didn’t know what to make of it.

 

* * *

 

Isshin had both hands in the male bathroom’s basin, looking intently at the mirror.

His son actually liked that awful boy.

The realization was almost too much to bear.

But he’d have to live with it whether he liked it or not.

Ichigo was always a private person, a bit reluctant to share his feelings when it was nobody else’s business.

But he did now, and Isshin could only respect them and know his place. Probably being encouraging of their relationship wasn’t going to drift them apart at all.

Probably that was the way it should be.

He couldn’t stand that boy, he really couldn’t. And he definitely didn’t need the indecent visual that nurse outfit mention gave him. Or knowing Jaegerjaques was a wannabe stripper mooching on his hard working son.

He still held onto the hope that Ichigo would get tired of the bad boy thing, but Isshin was not the one going home to that man every night, and getting his innocence and morals corrupted by the most noxious human being he’s ever met.

It hardly mattered what _he_ thought. The only thing that mattered now, was that Jaegerjaquez held for his son, the same feelings Ichigo clearly held for him.

If he did, then Isshin could overlook the rest.

With a sigh, and straightening his back, Isshin left the bathroom and walked back to his family, along with its newest addition.

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

 

The rest of their lunch was, within what was foreseeable, uneventful.

After what Isshin had to think of as a couple of agonizing hours, they were exiting the restaurant and back into the street, acting like any other ordinary family that went out for the day – mind you, with his wallet that much lighter.

Urahara quietly watched over everyone, like a cat considering a fish tank. It looked like dear, old Ichigo had a crush on his so-called boyfriend, and that little detail was a game changer that had Urahara wondering whether he should actually help out Isshin or let things play out on their own from then on, just to see what happens.

Then again, they all looked like they could use a push in the right direction, and it didn't seem like that little plot was doing the younger man any favors. It might have pulled them together in the first place, but its swift pull turned into a cage.

Ichigo's mood dropped considerably during the afternoon, as Jaegerjaquez (who to his credit did look mildly worried about it) focused his energies on avoiding Urahara's prying and instead driving Isshin to the wall. 

“Thanks for the pizzas, you know a guy like me needs a lot of food.”

“Of course...” Isshin wasn’t even trying not to take the bait anymore.

He looked downright exhausted. Urahara actually felt bad about him as he saw him walk ahead with the renown annoyance that Jaegerejaquez managed to be. He ended up having to order three extra pizzas just for the voracious young man.

“Big guys, big appetites. Ichi’s used to it.” Jaegerjaquez kept pushing. “And your daughter always looks happy to see me eat her stuff.”

“What’s that?” Isshin frowned.

Urahara glanced at Ichigo again, finding him still distraught.

With a sigh, he walked up to him and stayed at a reasonable distance from the rest of the family. Isshin was about to throw in the towel as far as driving Jaegerjaquez away went, so there was no other reason to keep the farse up...

Unless of course that blue haired boy was actually wanted.

“Hey, Ichigo.” Urahara called out, his voice always seeming so concealingly cheery.

Ichigo looked like he was just woken up unexpectedly, finding the older man by his side, looking at him with that unsettling smile of his.

“Huh?”

“So, that boy of yours...” Urahara spoke.

“Yeah...” Ichigo looked to the sides, taking a defensive posture.

“You care about him?”

Ichigo looked wearily at him.

“Of course I do.”

“Well.... I'd like to hear a honest answer."

"Eh?" Ichigo frowned. "I gave you a honest answer."

"I don't doubt that." Urahara caught up with him, a bit too curious for comfort. "But I suppose what I'm trying to say is, I’m not asking you this so you keep acting.”

Ichigo tensed.

“It’s pretty obvious you’re trying to scare your dad away from your personal life. Can’t say it’s uncalled for...”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You can be honest with your uncle.”

Ichigo looked at him with his lips tightly pressed.

“How did you...” He started, but didn’t even bother finishing his sentence. “Ugh. Of course you’d see right through it.”

“You were never that good at lying.”

“Karin noticed it right away too.” Ichigo sighed.

“It takes a special type of innocence not to.” Urahara raised an eyebrow.

Ichigo almost looked like he was trying to dodge the conversation.

“Like Yuzu, I guess.”

“And your father.”

“No.” Ichigo frowned. “My dad’s just an idiot.”

“Aren’t you being a little bit cruel to him lately?”

Ichigo winced, looking all too guilty.

“He’s been too agreeable.” Ichigo glanced at Urahara accusingly. “Suspiciously so.”

“I had nothing to do with his supportive acceptance.” It was Urahara’s turn to deny. “Don’t try to blame me for your own bad ideas.”

“Urahara...”

“So, you really care for him?”

Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment. That was Urahara’s strategy for the non compliant. Remind them they screwed up, and then drive the truth out of them.

It wasn’t a fight Ichigo was about to win.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You said you were his friend. That was a pretty convincing, sweet speech you gave us back there.”

“I didn’t say anything that important.”

“It sounded pretty important. Even Jaegerjaquez was listening.”

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“Ichigo.” Urahara faced him with a slightly sympathetic look, one that made Ichigo feel like a child. “You know why I’m asking you this.”

Ichigo didn’t answer. It wasn’t a question he had to answer anyway. Instead he let his eyes fall on the back of his dismayed father, who had Grimmjow walking by his side and babbling about God knows what.

“Isshin is a loon sometimes. I know that, I’ve known him for longer than even you!” Urahara continued, with a smile. “I also know he’ll always accept your decisions, when he thinks they’ll make you happy.”

“You sure about that? I was already doing things my way.” Ichigo finally said. “He kept pushing me to follow decisions he made for me. A wife, kids… No matter how many times I told him I wasn’t looking for something like that, he always insisted I had to. Because it wouldn’t fall from the sky.”

“Those things usually don’t.” Urahara agreed.

“But at that stage, I didn't feel like I needed them.” Ichigo sighed. “I just wanted to get him off my back for a bit. I never thought it’d last this long.”

“So why did it?”

"Because dad didn't..."

Ichigo paused, finding himself unable to answer.

Deep down, he knew why, though.

“I'm not asking about your dad. What changed that made _you_ stick to it for so long?” Urahara tried again.

Not that he needed a response. Only one thing had changed, after all, a new person in their lives.

“I don’t want to plead with your common sense or anything. You’re a grown man, you know what you want to do with your life.” Urahara continued. “But you’re lying to your father, and bit by bit you are lying to yourself.”

Ichigo looked at his feet. Lying to himself, huh? That he was.

“I think at this point you can drop it. Your dad won’t annoy you about a wife for a while.”

“Yeah, probably.” Ichigo admitted.

“Even though you used a curious way of phrasing your point.”

Ichigo threw him an unimpressed look. Urahara only chuckled at it.

“You _didn't_ feel like you  _needed_ them?”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

"Past tense? Something changed?"

"God, Urahara, not this again." Ichigo groaned, looking at the other side of the street. 

“Are you afraid it’s not mutual?”

Ichigo faltered in his step, but otherwise kept walking forward, as if Urahara didn’t just hit the target.

“You know, I don’t think Jaegerjaquez is that good of an actor either.”

“What do you mean?” Just like that, brown eyes met grey again.

“Interested now, are we?”

Ichigo scoffed.

“Like I said, he _was_ paying a lot of attention to what you were saying back there.”

“Are you trying to break us up or set us up?” Ichigo accused. “It’s a pretend relationship, you can cut it off!”

“I’m just saying, it’d be one fun story to tell the children.”

“Children?” Ichigo spluttered. “You’re still going at it?!”

Urahara only chuckled in reply.

“In any case, if one day you do bring someone actually important to you home, you probably have no reason to worry.” The older man settled.

“You think?” Ichigo scoffed, unconvinced.

Those words though, didn’t sit right with him.

“Even if they were Jaegerjaquez, let’s say,” Urahara smiled, nearly deviously. “the right person will probably endure a crazy family willingly for you.”

“Willingly, huh?”

Urahara nodded.

“Someone who goes to you without being asked.”

“Are you disappointed in me?” Ichigo looked at the older man, who was just as part of his family as his own father.

“Hm.” Urahara tilted his head a bit in contemplation, as though it was an answer he had to think about. “A bit. Not that much.”

Ichigo smirked, letting his eyes fall back to the floor.

He had made a decision already, regardless of Urahara’s words.

He knew he couldn’t keep this up any longer.

 

* * *

 

 

It was when they were saying their goodbyes from the rest of the family that Ichigo talked to Grimmjow again. It was still early, middle of the afternoon, but Ichigo excused himself saying he already made plans with his friends and had to call it a day.

The purpose of the lunch was done with anyway, although as Yuzu said goodbye, she reminded them both that she was still owed a song.

Grimmjow had a sheepish look on his face, but otherwise didn’t seem to mind at all.

Unfortunately to him, Ichigo had a say in that.

Not in front of his family though. In private.

Urahara’s words kept replaying on his head, and he felt more than ever before that he was doing his father a great injustice.

His old man actually walked along with Grimmjow for a while with a sort of resignation written on his features.

Ichigo knew just whose fault that was.

It was he who blurted out that nonsense about liking Grimmjow instead of sticking to the plan… which was honestly just letting Grimmjow take over and look bad. But Yuzu and Karin were right there. If seeing his dad hear about how big Grimmjow’s dick was already painful, then the same scenario with his two sisters was just… no.

Big no. Even if Grimmjow wouldn’t quite shut up about it. Ichigo heard him babbling something about guys overcompensating with fancy cars and him – go figure! - not even owning one.

It was a big fat joke to him.

That was fine. He was doing what he came here to do. It was just that Ichigo was starting to like having him around a bit too much. At this point, it wasn’t even a matter of preventing it, but rather a situation of very needed damage control.

“Grimmjow.” He called him out once his family walked away from them.

Grimmjow turned to him with a calm look so against the character he’d been playing for hours.

Days, actually.

“I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?” Grimmjow asked.

“This is not working.” Ichigo quietly said.

Might as well go straight to the point.

“Yeah, and whose fault is that?” Grimmjow snarled, his back tensing almost defensively.

“What?” Ichigo scowled.

“Giving your dad that little speech?” Grimmjow continued, before facing Ichigo with a frown. “Where did all that come from?”

Ichigo looked away from him and said nothing, but he wasn’t about to be let off so easily.

“Ichigo.” Grimmjow insisted, voice firm. “Where did that come from?”

He wasn’t expecting that reaction from Grimmjow. And he didn’t like it one least bit – the last thing he needed right now was to have someone point their fingers at him and call him out on his own stupidity.

Ichigo got it already. He said something dumb, but it’s not like he could un-speak it.

“Look, I...” Ichigo hesitated. He felt almost ashamed, crumbling under that intense stare.

Grimmjow was fixing him with those blue eyes of his like he somehow knew the answer, but couldn’t believe it just yet.

Where that came from? Why even bother asking something that damn obvious? After all, he liked him. If he actually admitted that to himself, he was already done for, and lucky Ichigo, he was always the last person to realize his own leanings.

“Not like you did that well.” He changed topic.

“Excuse me?”

“I had to take charge with Urahara’s questions, you went all braindead on me.”

Grimmjow gritted his teeth, knowing that accusation to be true. He didn’t know what to think of it, or how to justify the absolute nervousness he felt when he was being questioned like that. Still, now that he looked back on it, he wanted to come out on top. It was a matter of pride.

But something was off, and suddenly that very big, fat pride wasn’t the most important thing anymore. Ichigo looked disappointed, and that bothered him more than it should. He didn’t want to think it was because he invited himself in for another day. Ichigo actually sought him in his bar nights. If anything, that meant he didn’t mind having him around, or so he hoped.

The only other reason Grimmjow could think of for the downcast mood was how futile their best efforts were being, so he held onto it like a lifeline.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” Ichigo settled.

“Hey, your dad...” Grimmjow reached for Ichigo’s arm, his touch nearly burning. “He loves you. That’s why he puts up with me, not because he likes us.”

“I know.”

Grimmjow kept talking, but Ichigo wasn’t even paying any mind to it. Did he even hear his own words?

His father didn’t even question his explanation. He accepted it even when he clearly disliked Grimmjow. Sure, Isshin was annoying sometimes, and tried to put all of his friends in choke-holds for fun, and he even made big efforts in the past to drive his sister’s love interests away before they ever stood a chance.

But now, he just respected his decision and stepped away, letting him live his life like Ichigo always complained he wouldn’t. Then, there was the other thing that was eating him up, and probably the reason his dad didn’t need much convincing.

No matter how strongly he waved his black and white flag in front of him, Grimmjow was getting to him. There was a strange phantom touch around his waist whenever Grimmjow wasn’t around to wrap his arm around him. He had turned it into a such a habit, it became a genuinely comforting human contact. Ichigo wouldn’t get it anywhere else. And he couldn’t allow himself to go down there, because at the end of the day he’d still have to pull out his wallet and pay him to be around.

And that stung like a bitch right now.

“We can turn this around if you just stop saying dumb shit like that--”

“Grimmjow, I know.” Ichigo faced him. “I know I screwed it up. My dad will never put his own wants ahead of my feelings. That’s why this has to stop.”

Grimmjow looked surprised at the words, but didn’t say anything.

“I can’t keep playing him like this.” Ichigo settled.

“Ichigo,” Grimmjow pleaded. “Don’t just throw the towel like that.”

Something about that comment made Ichigo’s temper flare.

“Why do you keep pushing?”

“We had a deal.” Grimmjow glared at him.

Ichigo almost laughed, but there was nothing funny about it.

“We had a deal for a few days. I kept to it.”

“Kurosaki, we just need to change strategies if it’s not going like we wanted to. That friend of yours, I’ll--”

“Grimmjow!” Ichigo now yelled, shutting up the other man. “I’m done with it.”

Grimmjow just looked at him with his mouth open. He had to remind himself to shut his jaw into place before he tried again.

“What, you’re breaking up with me?” He mocked.

But Ichigo’s expression didn’t change.

“Are you fucking serious?”

Grimmjow couldn’t believe it. His mouth twitched with strain, and he realized that his surprise was quickly morphing into anger.

“Look, it’s just...” Ichigo started, but couldn’t finish the sentence.

“After you give this whole speech about why you like me, you decide _now_ ’s a good time to come clean?”

“Why do you care?” Ichigo snapped. “If you want to stick around so much, do it! But do you really? Are you going to stop charging me for it?”

He too was starting to feel angry, frustrated, and Grimmjow looked almost caught off guard by his words.

“You’re not even trying that hard, are you?” Ichigo kept going, all too aware only bullshit would come out of his mouth from then on, and still being unable to stop himself. “You just want this to last as long as possible so you can keep using me as your piggy bank while I--”

He snapped his mouth shut.

“While you what, Kurosaki?” Grimmjow bit back. “While you keep bitching at me like you’re my actual fucking husband? Quit acting like I’m trying to prolong this bullshit! If this is not working, it’s because of you and your bullshit!”

Ichigo closed his eyes, his mouth twitching.

“I know. I know that. I’m done.”

The two fell silent.

Grimmjow was completely unprepared for the sudden withdrawal. So that was it. He did his services and now it was over. He would be thrown away like some discarded napkin.

He thought he hadn’t been all that invested, but apparently that ugly ache at his chest didn’t agree with him. But he wouldn’t feel hurt. He flat out refused.

“Yeah?” His voice trembled. “I want my money then.”

Ichigo snapped his eyes back up.

“You want to drop it, don’t you?” Grimmjow sounded upset, and Ichigo gave him an uneasy look. He didn’t disagree though. “Tell everyone the truth while you’re are it. I want see you do it. I want to see you look your father in the eye and tell him you paid me to trick him.”

Ichigo’s eyes actually widened at the words. They were designed to hurt, and they did their job perfectly.

He scowled heavily, glaring at Grimmjow for aiming straight for the balls. Figures he’d do that as soon as he could. Ichigo reached for his pants’ pocket, an action that was way to familiar to him now, and took off his wallet.

It was so much easier to be angry than to be wounded by it.

He nearly ripped the bill from the way he took it out and handed it to Grimmjow.

“For your hard work.” He snapped.

Business as usual.

“Great.” Grimmjow snarled, not meaning his gratitude, as he snapped the bill out of his hand and marched his way out off.

Ichigo didn’t bother seeing him walk away.

He turned around and went on the opposite direction. Which also happened to be the furthest way to his apartment.

Fucking Grimmjow just had to go up the shortest road.

 

* * *

 

 

Ichigo felt his heart beating hard against his chest, relentless and anxious.

It was probably a good thing to take the long way home. He needed to cool out, and have some room to breathe before he once again returned to his single’s bedroom.

Yet, even as he kept walking through a different route, he wasn’t feeling any less calmer. He always cared for a lot of people, but this time karma decided to get back at him by making him worry this much for some asshole who was clearly trying to squeeze every dime out of him.

He had no idea what to tell his family either. Coming clean? Yeah right. But even if he tried to spare their feelings and keep them oblivious, how could he look them in the eye and say the guy he’d been "dating" for weeks broke it off out of nowhere?

_After he made a fool of himself by wholeheartedly calling each other friends._

Then again, would anyone even care? They didn’t like Grimmjow, right?

They just _acted_ like they did.

Stupid.

So stupid. His chest simply refused to believe there wasn’t a sliver of _something_ between them. Ichigo wasn’t used not to being liked anyway, at least not by people who kept him company for as long as Grimmjow did. It felt downright wrong not to have even a small amount closeness to him, but an ugly shadow in his head whispered that he probably never had any at all. Grimmjow wasn't like the rest of his friends. He was rude, careless, irresponsible and at times downright cruel, and he never gave him any reason to have expectations of him. Again, a business transaction. Nothing more.

But if that was it, why did they part like that, aiming at each other's throats?

Urahara's words kept echoing in his head. The suggestive ones. The teasing ones. The ones that made him wonder if Grimmjow did pay that much attention to his words, and  _why._

Eh, why set himself up for disappointment?

Forty minutes later, when he laid down on his bed and tried to clear his head, his phone at the bedside table vibrated.

He took it, noticing a message from Chad:

_"are we going out tonight"_

Ichigo hesitated before texting back.

_"Nah"_

Almost two seconds later, a reply came.

_"Grimmjow?"_

Ichigo closed his eyes. Chad was way too perceptive sometimes.

_"I sent him off"_

Chad didn’t waste time.

_"you alright?"_

The question made no sense. But figures even without seeing his face, he knew just how Ichigo was feeling.

_"why wouldnt I be?"_

Why wouldn’t he be? Brown eyes looked away from the phone’s screen and into the ceiling. His room was a sparsely decorated thing. It had the basic furniture, a couple of _passe-partouts_ with photos of his friends and family, and besides that, nothing more.

The rest of his apartment wasn’t much different. Ichigo never cared about it before. It was a place he didn’t spend that much time in, save for a few game nights or the rare dinner with someone he’d invite over.

Now he couldn’t help but find it empty.

It wasn’t really a home. It didn’t look all that lived, it didn’t have that much character.

It was a lonely place.

His phone warned him of another message.

 _"let me know if you change your mind",_ His friend offered.

Ichigo settled down the phone again.

It’d probably do him good to go out and take his mind off things.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Grimmjow stared at the canned food shelf of the grocery shop, his eyes shifting between one brand of baked beans and the other. Both of them were the fancy stuff, from big name companies and with a list of ingredients he couldn’t pronounce, let alone identify.

The more syllables, the more taste, right?

It was Saturday again. A week since Kurosaki told him to fuck off, and he still wasn’t quite over it.

The nerve of that guy, to ask him questions about his personal life like he cared about him, telling his family how nice it was to be himself around Grimmjow, and then fucking sending him off yelling.

He almost wanted to greet him with a punch to his face, but alas, it was hard to do that while deliberately avoiding any place Kurosaki might head off to as well.

Like that bar. He hadn’t stepped foot in it the whole week.

Grimmjow should have charged more for this bullshit. The money he got wasn’t enough to cover for the damage.

Which, in his case, came in the form of a sudden obsession with orange, and total lack of interest whenever the rare woman showed attraction in him.

Even if in his defense, the ladies only really approached him after a few drinks, which wasn’t for them the most flattering look.

Grimmjow was pretty sure his attractiveness varied in accordance to how many glasses of beer someone else drank, but he could only handle drunken lovers to a certain extent. Kurosaki was the only person who said he looked good while sober, which meant he either needed glasses desperately, or he was a raging alcoholic in disguise. Whatever.

He hadn’t slept around in weeks, which made for some very cold, uncomfortable nights.

He sighed, picking up a Heinz can, his movements already well practiced.

It was all Kurosaki’s fault. The stupid prick dragged him along from the bar to piss off his family like it’d be an easy task, and ended up introducing Grimmjow to a group of people who didn’t seem to hate him nearly as much as they should.

And he tried damn hard for them to.

Besides Nelliel, he had no one at all, and even she had a tendency to treat him more like a hopeless case than anything else. He was thankful, sure, but she got on his nerves very easily for it.

It was hard not to thrown in the towel when you couldn’t get your life back on tracks no matter how much you tried.

“Grimmjow?”

He put a halt to his bitter thoughts when he heard a soft, very familiar voice.

He never thought he’d hear it again, actually.

Turning around, he saw Kurosaki’s sister, Yuzu, cautiously looking at him, and another wave of resentment hit him.

Just what he needed. The “ex’s” family.

He grunted and faced back the shelves, trying to ignore her. It wasn’t something that stopped her though.

“Hey, how have you been?” Yuzu smiled. "I can't believe I caught you all the way here!"

He glanced at her, a thin eyebrow raised.

“Huh?”

“We haven’t seen you in a week! Are you coming to lunch with us today?”

Grimmjow turned back to face her again, trying to mask his curiosity.

Didn’t Kurosaki tell the family he got dumped?

“Ahm...” Grimmjow was at a loss for words. He was never all that good at digging for information, being too frontal of a person for that type of thing, yet, there he was, looking for a way to figure out for sure.

“Didn’t Ichigo invite you?” She made a disapproving face. “Then again, he’s been kind of distraught lately...”

“He has?” Grimmjow perked up.

“Yes. I thought you would know why.”

Grimmjow eyed her curiously. She didn’t seem to be playing any tricks on him.

What was this about Kurosaki being in a shitty mood? Oh he could definitely relish on that.

“Well, why don’t you show up by lunch time?” Yuzu smiled at him again. “I’m sure that would make my brother very happy”

“Right.” Grimmjow smirked cruelly. “That would be a good surprise, huh?”

Yuzu happily agreed, all too innocent to tell apart the mischievous look on Grimmjow’s eyes.

He wasn’t an idiot, he knew this would do him more harm than good, but the opportunity to get back at Kurosaki was just served to him on a silver platter, and he wasn’t about to throw that away.

Grimmjow would teach him not to mess with him, and he would do it the hard way.

“Oh, I’m making pork with--” Yuzu remembered, as if he cared.

“Yeah whatever.” He interrupted her, before catching himself.

He paused.

Kurosaki didn’t tell his family they broke up just yet. Why, he wasn’t sure. He couldn’t imagine them being all that bothered by it.

Maybe Ichigo had been waiting for this day to let them know. In which case, it wouldn’t hurt Grimmjow to make Kurosaki’s life a tad more difficult.

No way he was going to let that man get away with things that swiftly after pretty much accusing him of being a money digger.

The possibility of that being partially true hardly mattered at all. Grimmjow had his pride, and it was a damn big thing.

He looked back at Yuzu and changed his posture.

He wasn’t getting paid to be obnoxious anymore. Rather, he was about to waste his time out of his own volition. That called for a change in strategy.

“Hm, do you need any help?” He offered.

Yuzu’s face went from unsure, to pleasantly surprised.

“Oh, there’s no need to!”

“I’ll drop by early and give you a hand.” Grimmjow insisted. “Even if you probably don’t need it, I’m sure I can be useful.”

“Thank you! You cook too?” She grinned.

“I’m… a fast learner.”

She nodded, clenching her groceries basket tighter.

Grimmjow smirked again.

He wasn’t expecting much from the day, but he could at least spite Kurosaki a bit. Between that, and heading to a cold street to eat canned beans, it was an obvious choice.

As Yuzu waved goodbye and left, he felt the weight of the hidden can under his jacket.

He checked to see if the hall was clear, and placed it back on the shelve.

Knowing he’d probably get a decent meal today, it just wasn’t worth the risk of getting caught stealing.

 

* * *

 

 

In the Kurosaki family home, there was a pleasant smell of food filling the air, even though lunch hour was still away.

Isshin’s daughter, Yuzu, always had a knack for cooking, and when his wife passed away she turned out to be a saving grace.

Not that Isshin didn’t know how to cook himself – he would have to learn anyway after being left off to raise three kids by himself – but he wasn’t necessarily the best at it.

On the bright side of things, it meant his kids didn’t grow up picky. On the not so bright side, they were all more or less doomed to have bellow standard food every day. Fortunately for all of them, Yuzu came home one day when she was still young, raving about the amazing dinner she had at her friend’s house, and wanting to make some dishes like that herself.

Bless his precious little girl. Ever since then, she’d been the one in the kitchen, making sure they wouldn’t just starve to death. Much like today, she even walked all over town to make sure she had the best ingredients she could get her hands on.

It was too bad she liked to share her skills with not just them, but a lot other people as well.

Don’t get Isshin wrong, he didn’t mind having guests for dinner or lunch. But today, after she told him she spotted Jaegerjaquez at the grocery shop and asked him over, he felt like no good food in the world was going to salvage his mood.

Ichigo had been feeling down lately, and he just _knew,_ right away, that Jaegerjaquez was to blame. Whatever that punk did to his kind son, it made him downcast and quiet, and Isshin hardly thought having him in the house would do any of them good.

Then again, looking at his precious little girl and her happy face, he found that he couldn’t quite bring that up to her. She seemed to like the boy too, much to his dismay. He didn’t need a second child being all moody and sad.

There was a knock at his front door, and he clenched his fists tightly, taking one deep, calming breath.

“It must be Grimmjow! He said he’d come over early to help.” Yuzu called out from the kitchen.

To help. Hah! Yeah right!

The only thing that living nightmare was helping with, was driving Isshin insane. He walked up to the door anyway, letting out another sigh before opening it.

“Morning.” The man at the door greeted.

Isshin paused at the doorway, taking him in.

He’d have to make a small double take, if it weren’t for the still daringly blue hair on top of Jaegerjaquez’s head.

“Hello!” Isshin said, still caught off guard.

Still outside, Grimmjow threw him a soft smirk, waiting to be invited in.

His hair was combed to the side in a clean, orderly look that just sat strangely on him. His boots were still the same old dirty ones, but the ripped jeans were replaced by brand new ones, and the usual worn out jacket was on Grimmjow’s hands, uncovering a nice, black, and well fitted shirt.

For the first time since Isshin has met him, Jaegerjaquez decided to be presentable. And it made him look good, damn it all.

Isshin stood at the door for a few dumbfounded seconds, before noticing Grimmjow’s awkward expression, and realizing he hadn’t invited the man in yet. He usually didn’t have to. Jaegerjaquez would just push him to the side and make himself comfortable without a care in the world.

“Oh, please come in!” Isshin moved to the side, and only then did Jaegerjaquez walked in, stopping at the entrance to untie his boots.”

 _Hold on a minute,_ Isshin was alarmed. _This isn’t Jaegerjaquez, it must be a doppelganger!_

“Sorry I’m late.” Grimmjow said. “I can already smell the food. Yuzu must have gotten ahead of me.”

“Ahm, ah.” Isshin was at a loss for words. “She likes to start early, don’t take it the wrong way.”

“I’d never.” Grimmjow looked up at the older man, and threw him a charming smile. “So, anything I can do to help?”

“No.” Isshin blurted out, and to his surprise, Grimmjow gave him a look that could have passed up as wounded.

What the...

“I mean,” Isshin backtracked. “Why don’t you just make yourself comfortable! We’ll find something for you to do in a moment!”

Grimmjow looked a bit more satisfied with that answer.

Something definitely wasn’t right, starting with Ichigo’s mood and up to Grimmjow’s attitude.

Isshin waved to the living room, followed by Jaegerjaquez.

He’d just have to see where it went.

 

* * *

 

 

When Grimmjow arrived at the Kurosaki house, easy to spot with the annexed clinic’s billboard standing out loud and clear, he had to rethink his actions.

It was a shitty idea to be doing this with the sole purpose of pissing Ichigo off, and it was one of those things he could tell straight away couldn’t end well. Yet, there he stood with his fist raised to the door, refusing to actually let that stop him.

What was the worst that could happen to him? He was already down in the slump anyway.

As soon as Isshin opened the door for him, he could at least feel the satisfaction of knowing he caught the man off guard. Grimmjow made an effort to look good this time around, or at least as good as he could manage given his circumstances.

His half-dead phone was still vibrating in his jacket’s pocket, probably filled with messages from Nelliel, who must have wanted to smash his head against a wall at this point. It hardly mattered. Not like he could read them with that cracked screen. He wasn’t sure why he bothered keeping the damn thing.

He made his way inside as courteously as he could, which only meant he was being a normal person instead of playing up the bad boyfriend act that came so naturally to him. Isshin was weary, and he made it obvious.

Just like his son, he was a lousy actor.

As he made his way into the living room, he took in the house properly for the first time. It was a homely and cozy place, that gave away immediately the type of family that lived between those doors. The furniture was clean and filled with mementos, and a few books clearly were lost and misplaced on top of a tv, the couch, the coffee table. It looked lived. Like a home.

Grimmjow never paid much attention to it before, but he noticed a small, framed photo over the fireplace, right in the middle of countless other travel memorabilia and worthless objects.

“That’s your wife?” He asked, as Isshin almost jumped behind him when he heard his voice.

The older man approached him to fondly look at the picture.

“Ah yes, Masaki.”

It was a normal, family photo. A much younger Ichigo and his sisters stood there with their parents, all of them looking like a happy little bunch. He was perhaps nine or eight, if Grimmjow had to guess, and his smile carried a sort of childlike expression Kurosaki long lost.

That he knew of, at least.

The mother, he hadn’t seen before, but she was brightening up the entire picture.

“She was beautiful.” Grimmjow offered.

Isshin gave him a soft smile.

“It’s funny though.” Grimmjow continued, as he took in a much younger Isshin as well. “I always thought Ichigo probably looked like his mom. Guess not.”

“Oh?” Isshin faced him curiously.

Grimmjow smiled at the older man. He could see the resemblance between him and Ichigo in that old photograph: the same long face, the same downturned eyes…

“He looks like you.” Grimmjow said.

Isshin all but beamed at the comment. Figures he would.

Ichigo’s father was tall, rough… hairy all over despite his younger self not looking like that. Maybe that was what awaited Ichigo? Grimmjow smirked. He did think earlier that they were both lousy liars. The idea that Kurosaki would get old and turn into his father was too good to pass up.

“Jaegerjaquez.”

Karin’s voice caught his attention. She didn’t look too happy to see him, but he grew used to a bored or unimpressed expression being her standard one.

“Yo.” He waved at her, receiving only a skeptical look in return as Karin examined him from head to toe.

That girl was clearly the smart one. She was onto him, he knew it, but he couldn’t care less about it.

“You look like a nerd.” She smirked.

“A nerd.” He scowled.

“The hair comb.” She nodded.

He raised his hands to his hair, not knowing what was her problem. It was an average look, so what? He was far from looking like a nerd.

“Don’t worry.” She reassured him. “That’s just Ichigo’s type.”

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at her, but decided to ignore her.

“Grimmjow!” Yuzu entered the room from the kitchen, with an apron around her waist.

“Hey.” He waved at her again, not awfully interested. He knew he was meant to be making a good impression, but wondered how long he’d have to do it for until Kurosaki showed up.

He was a performer after all. Things were better with a spectator.

“Why don’t you put on some music?” She offered, waving towards a large, old fashioned stereo. “You can start practicing that singing you promised me.”

“Trying to keep me busy?” He smirked at her.

She smiled back at him.

“I’ll call you when I need anything.”

“Tsk.” Grimmjow turned to face the stereo as she asked. It was more of a command than a request though.

“You know how to work with that?” Isshin curiously asked, joining him. “It plays CD’s, cassettes, even vinyl. It must be older than you.”

“Vinyl, heh? That’s pretty popular now.” Grimmjow said.

“Really? Because it’s vintage?” Isshin looked thoughtful, as if he was told something he’d never imagine.

Grimmjow crouched in front of a shelve filled with old albums, carefully stored next to the stereo, looking for anything familiar. Maybe this was why Yuzu said she liked old songs, in front of him was a collection of classics.

Sinatra stood out, and he picked up that album, carefully placing it on the player.

The first notes filled the living room, and nearly instantly it felt like the house got a little warmer.

Grimmjow glanced at the kitchen, waiting to see if Yuzu would recognize the song. He wasn’t let down. Almost instantly, she rushed to the doorway and beamed at him.

He wiggled his eyebrows, and opened his mouth, keeping up with the music.

“ _I know I stand in line until you think you’ve got the time to spend and evening with me..._ ”

She looked at him with wide eyes and a huge smile. Isshin crossed his arms with an uneasy scowl.

“ _And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there’s a chance you won’t be leaving with me_.” Grimmjow continued singing, turning around from her pleased look and facing the record collection again.

He didn’t mean to put on a show, and he wouldn’t. A few lines wouldn’t hurt though, and it’d get her off his back as far as singing skills were concerned.

After all, he only did it the first time to piss off Kurosaki’s father, who was now cautiously looking at him. Luckily for Isshin, he wasn’t his target this time around.

“ _And afterwards we go into a quiet little place and have a drink or two._ ”

Funny. He never took note of the lyrics before.

“ _And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I love you._ ”

He was stretching it, and he knew it. He pushed away whatever dumb thoughts threatened to surface and turned back around to face the two sisters again, as the music went on without him.

Isshin smiled genuinely at him, for the first time since Grimmjow met him, and rested a hand on his shoulder as he stood up and walked elsewhere.

Karin was giving him a knowing look. Grimmjow didn’t like it the least bit.

What the hell did this brat want, looking at him with such a wise ass face?

“You sing really well.” Yuzu spoke. “No wonder dad told us about it.”

Yeah. No wonder.

“You guys have some old sh-tuff here.” He said.

“Our mom liked to collect them.” Karin explained, joining him as he went through the albums. Yuzu already left to the kitchen. “We have many more stored away.”

“You left the famous ones for show?” Grimmjow smirked, picking _Abbey Road._

“Nah. Dad insists those were her favorites. Him and Yuzu are the only ones who listen to that.”

“Not you?” Grimmjow wondered.

“Not me.” Karin paused, looking at him. “Ichigo doesn’t either, but he doesn’t mind them when someone puts them on.”

“I didn’t ask.” He frowned.

“So you guys had a fight?”

Grimmjow turned at her with an unmistakable glare.

“I knew it. You’ve both been acting strange.” She said, undeterred. “And what do you think you’re doing, all dressed up to impress?”

“What do you mean, acting strange?” Grimmjow ignored her question.

“Trying to pry, Jaegerjaquez?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Fuck no.” He glowered again. “I don’t give a shit.”

“Then why are you here?” She pushed.

“I’m not trying to impress him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“What then, you’re trying to impress dad?” Karin scoffed.

When Grimmjow only threw her an annoyed look, she almost burst out laughing.

“You can’t be serious… What’s the point?”

He looked back at the album collection.

“Are you trying to ignore me, Jaegerjaquez?” Karin poked him.

Damn right he was. And he would, until she got tired of him and went away. He didn’t need this shit right now, he just wanted to frustrate Kurosaki.

And she was already making him look like an idiot. Grimmjow didn’t know how much she knew exactly, and he wasn’t about to put himself out there.

“Grimmjow!” Yuzu called from the kitchen.

He left Karin behind and rushed off, to find Yuzu looking at a tall cupboard.

“Could you please get me the soy sauce, I can’t reach it.”

Grimmjow threw her a haughty smile and quickly gave her a hand.

Bless her timing.

 

* * *

 

Ichigo didn’t want to go anywhere, much less deal with his family right now. Still, they insisted he showed up for lunch that Saturday, and he’d already been too dismissive of everyone during the week to say no.

He was tired, and had been drowning himself in his work, spending extra hours at the hospital just so he didn’t have to go back home and think of his situation.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal, really. Grimmjow was just some random guy he met at a bar one time, and paid to act like his boyfriend. That was where their relationship started, and it was also where it ended.

Still, Ichigo fell too deep. He never liked to leave things pending, or on bad terms, and he just did both things in a matter of minutes.

Well fuck it, it’s not like he was going to pay Grimmjow any more than he already had. He wasn’t a bank, and he didn’t have endless supplies of money to spend on idiots like him. He should have ended it a long time ago. Now he was left to deal with the consequences of over exposure.

Grimmjow turned out to be a bit magnetic. Every time he saw him he wanted to get closer to him, and when he didn’t see him at all he wanted to.

Fortunately, time helped a little bit. Only a week had passed, but it calmed him down, and eased his feelings. Their abrupt separation left a sour taste on his mouth, but what was done was done. What were the chances of them seeing each other again anyway, if Ichigo kept up to his resolution to stay the hell away from the typical bar or any nearby gymnasium.

When he got to his father’s house, he took a deep breath before knocking.

He could tell they were going to ask about Grimmjow, and that only left him more uncomfortable. Ichigo decided beforehand this would be the day he told them the truth… Or maybe not, but he’d at least tell them his fake-relationship was over and that he and Jaegerjaquez parted ways.

Who knew? Maybe if he looked wounded enough, they wouldn’t talk about it much. God knows he needed a distraction from it.

He knocked at the front door again, as minutes went by without getting answered.

From inside the house, a clumsy jog was heard, and all too used to being tackled to the floor by his dad, Ichigo stepped to the side and waited. Unfortunately, when he was finally greeted, the person who opened the door was also the last person he wanted to see.

His mouth dropped open as he looked at the man in front of him, and before he knew it he was already speaking out his disbelief.

“Grimmjow?”

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo, after months of procrastinating I finally finished writing this fic :D I say 5 more chapters after this one, and that'll be all folks!  
> Thank you for all your feedback so far! I'm always looking forward to hear what you thought.

 

“Grimmjow?”

If Ichigo didn’t know better, he’d say his brain melted right there, as soon as he laid his eyes on Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez greeting him with that infuriating smirk of his.

His stomach did an embarrassing flip, as he  took in the other’s unusual appearance: clothes that clung nicely to his shape, and an orderly hair combed to perfection… or almost, weren’t it for the two strands that stubbornly fell on his forehead. He looked good. Fuck, he never looked this good before.

It was that damn grin that broke the charm.

“What are yoo-” Ichigo froze once he spotted Yuzu approaching them.

His head tried to catch up with what was happening.

“Ichigo.” Grimmjow greeted him, with a low, calm voice. “I missed you, babe.”

Ichigo turned to him again with disbelief, but his surprise quickly morphed into something else.

Oh he saw what this was all about. He gritted his teeth, the noise of it loud enough to be heard. He tried twisting his lips into a smile, but it turned into a snarl instead.

“Missed me?” He choked out.

Grimmjow’s smirk only seemed to widen at it.

“Wasn’t I missed back?”

“Yuzu,” Ichigo faced his younger sister, who looked curiously between one man and the other. “You invited him over?”

“Surprise?” She offered.

He tried to look composed, but the only part of his brain that wasn’t heading straight into override doubted he managed it. Ichigo lifted a hand to rub his eyes. Great. What a way to start the weekend.

This was the worst case scenario he could ever come up with, and if anything, the fact he _hadn’t_ thought of something like this happening at all was a testament to how unprepared he was.

So Grimmjow stayed in contact with her? Was that guy for real?

He glared at him one more time, but Grimmjow didn’t seem to mind one least bit. Instead he moved over to let Ichigo inside his family house, and soon enough, Isshin’s voice called for attention.

“Hey, Grimmjow!” The oldest man waved at them with an old vinyl record in his hands.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows, incredulous.

“Oh, Ichigo, you’re finally here!” Isshin took note of him, and just as swiftly, faced Grimmjow again with excitement. “Rolling Stones!”

“Good stuff.” Grimmjow smirked, and like nothing happened, walked up to Ichigo’s father to look at the record in his hands.

Ichigo simply stood there, with his mouth hanging open.

What the fuck.

What?

What was this???

He wanted to yell at Grimmjow, but the largest part of him was simply shell shocked by what was happening. Did he pass out and wake up in a weird alternative universe?

“Dad?” That come out nearly as a whimper, one that his father didn’t even take note of.

Isshin looked far too excited to share his little treasure with Grimmjow, who was handing out soft smiles and interested comments like he was a decent human being.

Grimmjow. Decent.

Why?

“So, this is interesting.” Karin’s voice caught his attention. “Might wanna close your mouth before something flies in.”

He looked at her, still at a loss for words, to see her only scoffing at him and walking back into the kitchen.

If his brain hadn’t run off with the rest of his sanity, it definitely stopped functioning for a moment there. It took a while for his gears to start working again, and even then they felt rusty.

“Hey!” Ichigo called out. “Grimmjow!”

Grimmjow tore his eyes away from an old LP and glanced at him.

“Come here, we need to talk.” Ichigo firmly ordered. His eyes took an angry glow he was not aware of, no matter how much he contained himself.

Grimmjow offered Isshin a calm look, as though he wasn’t about to be yelled at by his son.

“Would it be okay if I...”

“Of course, go ahead!” Isshin brushed him off, but spared Ichigo a curious look. He had his own thoughts on the situation, but he'd rather hold them off. Jaegerjaquez was a good kid now that they were having some alone time... which was a bit alarming.

Could it be that the bad influence between the two... was Ichigo???

He was left to his own dismays as Grimmjow excused himself politely.

“I’ll be right back, sir.”

Oh that was it. Ichigo was nearly seething.

Sir?!

He was going to murder him.

As soon as Grimmjow was in his reach, he grabbed him harshly by his wrist and dragged him to a small bathroom, that just so happened to be the first door available.

Ichigo couldn’t bother waiting more than five seconds to give him a piece of his mind.

The moment that door closed, Grimmjow dropped his act. Ichigo grasped his shirt, gathering all his will power not to sock him in the jaw right away.

His hands would rather be choking the living breath out of him than around his clothes, but as that would likely end in murder and gather him a scowl or three from his now apparently-Grimmjow-loving family, he’d have to settle with _talking._

“What do you think you’re doing?” He growled.

Grimmjow snarled when his back hit the wall, but quickly pulled on a smirk. Both his hands moved to rest on Ichigo’s lithe waist.

Ichigo glanced at them briefly, but focused his scowl on Grimmjow again.

“I didn’t do shit.”

“Don’t play games with me, Jaegerjaquez.” Ichigo spat back. “Why are you here?”

“Grimmjow.” He corrected the name. “Your sister invited me over.”

“Don’t give me shit.” Ichigo pressed him harder against the wall.

“I’m not giving you shit. She saw me at the grocery shop, asked me over.” Grimmjow clenched his fingers on Ichigo’s flesh, and talked with a sing-along voice. “Looks like someone wasn’t honest with his family.”

“I was going to tell them today.” Ichigo defended, wincing at the touch that turned rough.

“Were you now? I guess that’s too bad.”

“What were you doing with my father?” Ichigo pressed. The fingers around his waist clenched and unclenched, like a cat kneading him. “Quit that.”

“You like it.” Grimmjow leaned closer to him.

“I don’t.”

Ichigo bit his lip, not stepping away. He kept his hands on Grimmjow’s shirt, refusing to let him go.

“What's the idea?” He pressed. "Trying to win him over and make me look bad?"

“Yer old man was just showing me his stuff, since his son doesn’t give a shit about it.”

“Give me break.” Ichigo snarled. “He can’t stand you.”

“You think? I’m not giving him any reasons to dislike me today.”

“What do you want, Grimmjow?” Brown eyes met blue. “Do you want to make this harder for me, is that it? Are you that pissed I called it quits?”

Grimmjow pushed him away, gritting his teeth.

Ichigo felt his own heart beat a thousand miles per hour inside his chest. He was coming to terms with what happened, just now getting used to the feeling of dejection he was left with when Grimmjow demanded him his last payment, and now he decided to show up and rub himself in Ichigo’s face some more?

He would have been kind of happy about seeing him again, if he had “dumbass” stamped on his forehead.

Before Grimmjow got to answer, however, Isshin’s voice called them from outside.

“Hey boys, lunch is ready!”

With another infuriating smirk, Grimmjow pushed himself out of reach and opened the door, walking out of the bathroom before Ichigo had time to say much more.

And Ichigo still had plenty to say. It would have to wait apparently, leaving him with plenty of time to eat himself up over why this was happening.

What was there to gain, really? Although as far as Grimmjow was concerned, the most logical question was _what was there to lose?_

If his story of meeting up Yuzu by chance was even remotely true – he didn’t trust Grimmjow to not invite himself over – he had to wonder what words were exchanged exactly.

He didn’t tell his sister or the rest of his family what transpired between them. He was going to give them some excuse today as to why they broke up, and hopefully never have to worry about the topic of Grimmjow or dating ever again.

Figures Grimmjow would flip his plans upside down before he got the chance to. Not only did he show up for lunch, he looked like he was putting an actual effort to be likable, if his father’s actions were anything to go by. Ichigo could have sworn Isshin didn’t stand Grimmjow, yet there he was, all too happy to show him his mother’s old record collection.

That alone made Ichigo’s blood boil. Grimmjow was a farce, he had no business being told about his mother, or her little treasures.

As they sat down by the table, he couldn’t stop himself from glaring at Grimmjow who was facing him with a relaxed face.

Yuzu served him a big plate, and Isshin fetched decent sake just for him.

Ichigo still couldn’t believe it. Was his dad really that easy to win over? Had it been the freaking makeover Grimmjow seemed to put himself through?

Ah! Cared-for hair? Nice clothes? This was not Grimmjow at all. Ichigo knew first hand how he really was, and it was a hell lot closer to the man his dad disapproved of than this wolf in sheep’s clothing having lunch with them.

“Yuzu, this is great.” Grimmjow waited until everyone was served before he started chewing quietly, complimenting the food and drawing a pleased blush from his sister.

Ichigo stayed silent, but he kept his eyes on Grimmjow as he ate, wondering if he could get away with kicking his shins under the table. Better not.

Grimmjow wanted to play? Fine. He’d play along for now.

“You know a lot about music, Grimmjow.” Isshin smiled, as he took a large bit of pork to his mouth. “Masaki would have approved of you.”

Ichigo felt like he was punched in the gut.

“You think?” He spat out, still staring straight at Grimmjow. “She’s always been pretty good at reading people.”

“Is that so?” Grimmjow betrayed his good guy act when he flashed Ichigo an angry glare. “How does that make _you_ feel?”

Brown eyes narrowed.

“I hope she’d like me.” Grimmjow subtly switched tone, feigning a soft expression.

His eyes though, Ichigo could read them far too well.

“She definitely would.” Isshin reassured, just another twist of the knife for Ichigo. “She was a very kind, caring woman, saw the good in everyone.”

Isshin glanced at his plate with a nostalgic smile.

“Like Ichigo said, she could always read people well.” He continued, glancing at Grimmjow. “It’s a skill I wish I had too.”

“She sounds like a good woman.” Grimmjow nodded.

Ichigo stopped eating. He couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t just have him talk about his mother to Grimmjow, who was just going to exploit it whenever he felt convenient.

Grimmjow however, didn’t say anything else. He faced Ichigo with a serious look.

“And she had some good taste.” Grimmjow said. “My old man would have loved to touch the stuff you got back there.”

Ichigo lifted his eyes from his plate to give Grimmjow a weary look. He wasn’t looking back at him, though.

“Is that so?” Isshin asked. “We could just invite him over to take a look.”

“Maybe not.” Grimmjow chuckled.

Isshin and his daughters looked at him curiously. Ichigo noticed the way Grimmjow avoided meeting his eyes.

“We didn’t really part on good terms.” Grimmjow admitted, reluctantly.

A small silence fell on the table.

Ichigo didn’t want to feel the smallest bit of sympathy for Grimmjow, but there it was, slowly waking up in the recesses of his mind, making its way to the front lines.

“How so?” Isshin asked, meddling into business that wasn’t his to look into.

“Let’s just say...” Grimmjow’s eyes fell to his plate, his tone somber. “Not everyone has a good relationship with their parents.”

The moment those words came out, Ichigo knew they were meant for him. They weren’t spoken by chance or without intent. But there was something vulnerable there too. Grimmjow heard too much about his mother, much more than he deserved to hear, and like a small truce, he offered that small glimpse into his life.

A week ago, Ichigo would have probably relished it. Now he wasn’t so sure what to make of it anymore. Grimmjow coughed and stuffed some more food in his mouth, looking like he instantly regretted sharing that. It was just as illogical as everything else he’d been doing this day, starting from the fact he actually bothered to show up and annoy Kurosaki. Was it just sheer pettiness?

Who was Ichigo kidding? There he was, being played again. All Grimmjow wanted were pity points to look more likable, and he took a dig at Ichigo while he was at it.

Ichigo continued eating, almost lost in his own thoughts.

A parallel conversation was going on, but he wasn’t paying any attention to it. He put his focus on something else, on things that have been evading him for the past few weeks.

The little things he figured out about Grimmjow, either by little slips or observation alone.

He didn’t know what was real or not, he could only assume.

When they all finished the main course, Yuzu stood up to bring dessert to the table. The bowlshe held in her hands was filled to the brim with strawberries and cream, and even though it didn’t look like her usual effort, it didn’t seem any less tasty.

“This is a Grimmjow original.” She announced. “He offered to make dessert.”

Ichigo scowled immediately. He just knew where this was going.

“I love strawberries.” Grimmjow smirked, finally looking straight at Ichigo, who only narrowed his eyes at him.

It was unimpressive, really. But then again, none of them probably expected much from Jaegerjaquez. It didn’t change the fact Ichigo wasn’t going to eat it. When Yuzu moved to serve him, he refused as politely as he could while carrying such a deep frown.

“No, thanks. I’m full.”

“What’s wrong _Ichigo_?” Grimmjow said, not missing a beat.

“I already said I was full.” Ichigo replied with a forced smile.

“I made it thinking of you.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Eat it.”

“No.”

“Is it the cream?” Grimmjow feigned concern.

He had it. Suddenly he saw nothing more than the fruition of his dreams, a beautiful image supplied by his brain and his brain alone.

He jumped over the table and tackled Grimmjow to the ground, with no shame or concern for his family witnessing the show. Just the two of them, like beasts, going at it, him feeling the satisfaction of Grimmjow’s nose making a cracking sound under his fist.

“Son?”

Alas, he was always a bit of a daydreamer.

“Nah, I’ll pass.”

Ichigo stuck to his position out of sheer stubbornness. He knew he wasn’t looking all that great, being the only one to say no, and he was more than aware that was working in Grimmjow’s favour. Seriously, though.

Strawberries with cream? Did he take him for an idiot?

Things didn’t end there. Grimmjow was adamant of making himself look like a nice, irreproachable guy, as if the past few weeks he hadn’t acted like a total nightmare. Worse than that – it was working. He stood up with Yuzu and offered to help with the cleaning, something that looked way beyond his mental capacity two weeks ago.

“Son, you should be the one offering to clean!” Isshin spoke, having decided it was an opportune moment to give his son some shit too. “I’m sorry, Grimmjow, but as a guest I can’t allow you to do that!”

“I’m a bit more than a guest though.” Grimmjow smiled, a face that made Ichigo want nothing more than to throw a plate at his head.

After two minutes of well rehearsed insistence from both parts, _he_ was the one who ended up clearing the table and washing the dishes while his family spent some quality time with Grimmjow fucking Jaegerjaquez, boyfriend extraordinaire.

Great. Give them some more time to bond. Just great.

Ichigo didn’t even know how to react anymore. Maybe it was all a well deserved round of karma coming back to bite him in the ass, but it was hardly doing anyone any favors to keep this up. He had to have a serious talk with Grimmjow. He had to catch him alone.

Fortunately, someone out there must have heard his wishes.

A loud noise of a phone pretty much dying came from the entrance. Grimmjow winced apologetically at it.

“Sorry, that’s my phone.”

“Someone’s calling?” Isshin asked, feeling remorseful that he was the reason behind that dying noise. He actually forgot to buy Jaegerjaquez’s new phone, and he didn’t eat himself much about it before…

But now, he was starting to feel like the kid was owed one a long time ago.

“It’s probably nothing important.” Grimmjow brushed it off.

“You should answer it.” Ichigo pressed.

Blue eyes and brown met.

“Nobody important calls me.” Grimmjow said, frowning. “And I can barely hear them anyway.”

“You know,” Isshin interrupted, as the last plates were stored away. “I do owe you a new phone… I’m sorry it’s taking so long, I’m just...”

Isshin paused, looking defeated.

“Out of touch with technology.” He finally admitted.

Grimmjow threw him a sheepish look, and Ichigo mirrored it.

Then, he took the opportunity.

“About time you got him one, no?”  
  
“Yeah. Ah, Yuzu, Karin! Why don’t you girls come with me to the store real quick?” Isshin looked at them resolutely. “You girls know what’s trending, so we can just get it done with!”

Grimmjow looked between them all, uncomfortable.

“I don’t think that’s necessary...”

“No, you clearly need a new one.” Ichigo insisted.

Grimmjow glanced at him, trying to disguise his anger.

“Ichigo, you can keep him company.” Isshin nodded. “We’ll do it right now.”

Yuzu nodded, while Karin simply shrugged, but not without throwing her older brother a knowing look. Ichigo ignored it. He wasn’t even in the mood to be complicit. He just wanted to yell at Grimmjow without his family hearing.

“Don’t worry about it.” Ichigo smirked. “Grimmjow and I have plenty of things to talk about.”

Grimmjow took a deep breath at the underlying threat, but he straightened his back, ready to face whatever was coming.

“Well, let’s go then. You boys behave.” Isshin waved a warning finger at the two of them, and walked to the door with the twins. “I don’t want any indecency in my house!”

Ichigo nodded, his lips curled in a tight, strained smile, while Grimmjow quietly stood next to him.

“Oh, and Grimmjow.” Isshin turned around to look at them one last time before parting, catching the men off guard. “Make yourself at home.”

Isshin smiled.

“After all, home is where the heart is!”

As the oldest man walked away and closed the door behind him, he had no idea what a kick to said vital organ those parting words had been.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a slightly depressing chapter, why not.  
> Anyone ever seen the movie Uptown Girls? I may or may not have taken a scene from it.

 

“So.” Ichigo was the first one to talk. “That’s a pretty funny prank you pulled just now.”

Grimmjow snorted at the lack of humor in Kurosaki’s voice. He knew what was coming to him eventually, but he didn’t actually worry himself much with it prior.

“This isn’t a prank.” He replied, walking into the living room again with disinterest.

That was only bound to piss an already angry Ichigo off even more.

“Then what the hell is it, huh?” Kurosaki snapped. “What are you trying to prove, Grimmjow?”

“Who says I’m trying to prove anything?” Grimmjow faced him, finally dropping the act. “This is just karma coming to bite you in the ass.”

“Karma?”

“Damn right. Karma for being a little shit.”

“We had a deal for three days!” Ichigo pretty much yelled at him. “You played me along for longer than that, but you have no right to bitch at it after I called it quits!”

“It’s not about fucking quitting!”

“What is it about then?” Ichigo gritted his teeth. “Because it sure looks like it!”

Grimmjow actually paused before finding a comeback.

“It’s about you being a piece of shit!”

“Wow that argument is so compelling Grimmjow. I’m really convinced now.” Ichigo mocked him.

Alright, situation point: Grimmjow majorly pissed Ichigo off, so he could safely say that was a mission accomplished. He did what he set out to do, but after that his mind drew blank. It tended to happen sometimes, when someone was as motivated by sheer pettiness as he was.

Yet, it didn’t stop his temper from flaring alongside Kurosaki’s, who actually dared talk down to him like he was so much better.

“I don’t give a crap about convincing you, the two brain-cells you got up there probably aren’t worth the effort” Grimmjow spat back.

Kurosaki’s eyes… He only ever saw glimpses of them like that, and he didn’t just hate them, he was drawn to them. Like they could just let it out and have their fists do the talking.

Now that was a language Grimmjow was fluent at. Delving in stupid feelings, questioning himself and his relationship with Kurosaki, they were all nothing but a waste of his time. The thought of them exchanging blows, and being found by Kurosaki’s family all bloodied and wounded… a thing of beauty.

“Think again, because I get what this is all about.” Kurosaki scowled.

“Yeah, smart-ass? Enlighten me.”

“You’re throwing a tantrum because you can’t get what you want anymore.” Ichigo went for the attack.

“What I want? And what is it that I want so much?” Grimmjow ridiculed him.

“My wallet.”

“I don’t need your fucking money.”

“Yeah you do.” Ichigo gritted his teeth. “That’s what it was all about from the very beginning. You saw me, and you read _bank_ all over my face.”

“Flattering yourself much? Twenty measly dollars per night isn’t worth my time.”

“Don’t lie to me, Grimmjow!” Ichigo yelled.

Grimmjow actually snapped his mouth shut, though his eyes still burned.

“I don’t know why you need it for, but you do.” Ichigo continued with a lower voice. “And I was just a means to get it.”

Grimmjow didn’t reply.

How could he? That wasn’t a lie, and even if it was, what else would he be owning up to just to contradict it?

That he genuinely cared about Ichigo? He’d rather jump off a bridge.

He dashed away to the kitchen, feeling like he was two minutes away from busting the teeth out of Kurosaki’s mouth. Unfortunately for him, Ichigo didn’t relent.

“What’s your brilliant plan then? You just want to make me look bad, or do you think this is some smart way to get me to pay you extra so you keep quiet about us?” Ichigo attacked. “Tell them if you want! You’re right! I have it coming!”

“Damn right you do!”

“So tell them!” Ichigo snapped again. “What are you waiting for? If you hate me this much, just tell them all I cheated them!”

Ichigo was heavily breathing, trembling gasps escaping his lips along with his frustrations. Grimmjow was no better.

He didn’t know what to say to that, or how to justify what he was doing.

“I’ll do it myself. Maybe that’s what you want, isn’t it?” Ichigo looked at him, wounded. “You did say you’d love to see me tell them everything.”

“Do whatever you want, Kurosaki.” Grimmjow frowned. “I don’t care about you, or your dumb family.”

“You don’t care?!” Ichigo pressed. “You’re so full of crap! Why are you here then?”

“I’m not your fucking dog, I won’t answer shit if I don’t want to!” Grimmjow snapped back, instantly regretting it.

“Because I nailed it, didn’t I? Always wearing the same clothes, eating like you’re starved.” Ichigo chased him, brown eyes widening as realization hit him.

“Why do you care, Kurosaki?” Grimmjow shouted, as he turned around to face him, growing alarmed. “Did you just realize what was handed to you, is that it?”

Ichigo looked almost startled at the admittance.

“It doesn’t bother me to just give you money, it bothers me why I give it to you!” Ichigo yelled back, having enough of this. “If you need help, just say it! Don’t just drive me along and pretend you like me so you can fill your wallet at the end of the day!”

“I don’t need your fucking help! It’s not about the fucking money!” Grimmjow shouted, walking past Ichigo and back to the living room. “I’m not getting jack shit for this!”

“Stop running! What is it then?” Ichigo raised his voice even louder.

Grimmjow felt like screaming.

Everything felt like a shouting competition, actually. See who can yell the loudest.

Grimmjow turned around to look at Ichigo from the doorway to the kitchen, and grabbed the door that joined both divisions.

He was done with this shit. He was done with everything. He had enough listening to Kurosaki pointing his big, fat finger at him like he had any right to.

“Because fuck you!” Grimmjow yelled one last time. “That’s why!”

And slammed the kitchen door shut with all the strength he had.

There was something about life, though, that it always turned moments like those around. Grimmjow realized something then, that he had never noticed previously, even after all his visits to the Kurosaki household.

“Grimmjow!” Ichigo called out, and suddenly his tone sounded half panicked.

Grimmjow glared at him no less furious until the door closed and hid him from view…

… for half a second.

Then it just kept going through the other side, showing Ichigo’s alarmed face again.

“It’s a swinging door!”

As quickly as he blew off, the door came right back at him to smack him hard in the face.

 

* * *

 

 

“Shit! Are you okay?” Ichigo leaned down to the now fallen Grimmjow.

The manchild had it coming, but Ichigo didn’t find it nearly as satisfying as he should to see him sitting on the floor and hiding his face from view, blood peering through the fingers he was covering himself with.

There was only a grunt of pain and a muffled moan as response.

Almost cautiously, Ichigo pried those hands away from Grimmjow’s face to assess the damage.

His nose was still straight and nice, with the exception of a small cut over the bridge, and the blood that poured out of it.

Not that his nose was the only red thing in the picture. It looked like Grimmjow could have busted his lip too.

“At least it’s not broken.”

“Muck off”

Ichigo snorted at the curse.

“Teaches you not be an ass.”

Grimmjow pushed back the pain he was feeling and backed away from Ichigo’s still disturbingly careful hands. He stood back up and continued on his way like he didn’t just go through what had to qualify as one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

So what if he got hit by a door? Maybe his exit was going to be less dramatic, but it was going to happen anyway. If anything, it made him madder.

Ichigo didn’t seem to think alike though. He grabbed his arm and pulled him back harshly.

Surprisingly so, even. Grimmjow let out another low, guttural noise, blaming Ichigo’s strength on his own disorientation.

“Let me take care of that.”

“Did I stutter?” Grimmjow swallowed the blood on his mouth. “Fuck off.”

“No, fuck you!” Ichigo snapped back. “You have no right to be angry at me! And there’s no way I’m going to let you out of a clinic looking like that!”

“I’ll repeat this since you’re slow: fuck you! And your clinic!” Grimmjow added.

Shoving Ichigo away, he darted out of the front door and onto the street, his blood still dripping from his nose like a faucet. Ichigo kept chasing him, as if no insult Grimmjow threw at him would get him off his back.

That was fine. Let him relent. Grimmjow was more than ready to turn things physical if he had to.

Ichigo flinched once he saw Grimmjow turn to him with a fist raised and ready to strike.

It never came.

“You!” An unknown voice called out at the end of the street.

Ichigo and Grimmjow both turned to it to find a large man staring at them furiously.

No… Not at them, Ichigo realized.

“You’re the gym bum!”

Grimmjow pressed his sore lips down so hard it only made more blood pour down his face. He couldn’t believe his luck.

The man looked at him from head to toe, and gritted his teeth angrily. Usually Grimmjow could handle a guy like that, even knowing that build had strength beneath it. Now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

He couldn’t handle any more humiliation, but it just looked like it kept on coming.

“You motherfucker, I knew it was you!” The man yelled, striding towards Grimmjow with a murderous look in his eyes.

Ichigo didn’t think. He knew that expression already, having gotten in plenty of fights of his own before. Swiftly, he stood between that huge man and Grimmjow like a barrier.

“What do _you_ want?” Ichigo braced himself.

“Get out of my way.” The man didn’t tear his eyes away from Grimmjow, a sneer on his face when he took note of all the blood dripping over his clothes. “Small world Jaegerjaquez. Those are mine.”

Grimmjow grinned at the man, like he couldn’t care less about his anger.

Or about Ichigo’s confusion.

“Hope you don’t mind, they suit me better.”

The man jumped at Grimmjow. All that stopped him was a swift kick from Ichigo, who then quickly pulled both his arms behind his back and kept him immobilized.

Grimmjow would have been impressed, was he not shaking with nerves.

Everything he never wanted to be known was coming out now. All of it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ichigo gritted his teeth, his hold unrelenting at the other man’s struggles.

“Get off of me!”

“So you can go after a man who’s clearly in bad shape? Yeah right!”

“You think this is funny?” The man glanced at him over his shoulder, still helplessly trapped. “This bastard stole my clothes. And God knows what else he got his hands into.”

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow, stunned that he didn’t even bother denying it.

“I always said a bum like you shouldn’t be there.” The man spat. “No worries though, I made sure you’ll never get inside that place again. Nelliel’s not going to cover for your sorry ass agai--”

“You want it?” Grimmjow snapped, shutting the man up. “You want it back? There!”

Like a storm broke behind his eyes, Grimmjow tore the shirt of his torso and threw it at the man’s face.

“Keep it!”

Ichigo was completely surprised by the gesture of poorly contained frustration. Grimmjow was not okay. His hands were trembling with anger, his voice was just as shaky. Even the other man picked up on it, though he looked no less mad.

Ichigo shoved him to the floor, a lot more roughly than was necessary.

“Get out.” He quietly ordered, even though the man didn’t seem keen on doing so.

He stood up, and headed straight for Grimmjow again, when Ichigo grabbed him by the hem of his shirt, and pulled him away again.

He might not have looked as huge as that guy, but he knew what he was doing.

“I said leave.”

The man looked at him hesitantly, as his temper visibly calmed. Grimmjow just stood there, in the middle of the street with his arms crossed against his chest – like that would protect him from the cold chill of autumn.

“If I ever see you again, Jaegerjaquez, I’m calling the cops on your sorry ass.” The man threatened, before walking away, throwing a dirty look at the shirt that was left abandoned on the floor.

Ichigo saw him walk away, and once a large enough distance came between them, he turned back to Grimmjow.

“Let’s go.” He calmly said, a frown clear on his face. “I’ll get you a new shirt.”

Grimmjow closed his eyes.

He didn’t want to go, but he swallowed his pride regardless. Without waiting for him, Ichigo took a hold of his hand and pulled him back to his father’s house, where it was much warmer.

Maybe because it felt as thought he world was collapsing on top of him, Grimmjow didn’t object to it. He quietly allowed himself to be pulled, at a complete loss of what to do or where to go from there. Ichigo sat him down on the living room’s sofa, and with a stern look that told him to stay there, went to the bathroom to fetch a first aid kit.

Everything else happened in a tense silence.

A bit more carelessly than advisable, Ichigo cleaned the drying blood off his face. From the kitchen came the noise of a water boiler screeching. Grimmjow hadn’t been paying attention. He didn’t notice when Kurosaki went there in the first place.

The only thing he felt in the middle of all that numbness, were Ichigo’s soft fingers, their occasional bluntness, and a damp towel over his skin.

Ichigo walked away after a few minutes, leaving Grimmjow alone in that room and trusting him to stay there, with only a bowl of once clear, and now pink tinged water next to his feet.

 _I just need a shirt._ Grimmjow repeated to himself. _Just a shirt, and then I’m gone._

When Ichigo returned, he had a warm blanket and a baggy sweater on his hands.

He didn’t know what to make of things. He’d never seen Grimmjow react like that to something, although he probably shouldn’t have been so surprised by it. Ichigo was an idiot for not connecting the dots before.

The voracious appetite, the clothes, Nelliel’s passing by comment about spending the night at some gym.

Brown eyes looked down at Grimmjow’s fit body. He looked healthy, handsome. His appearance betrayed his actual situation, but he saw it now – the cold goosebumps over his skin, the slight discoloration under his eyes.

He wrapped the warm blanket around Grimmjow’s shoulders, and fetched a warm mug of tea from the kitchen.

Once Grimmjow had it in his hands, Ichigo crouched in front of him again, and looked straight into blueeyes.

“Tell me everything.” He simply said.

Grimmjow didn’t answer though. He lowered his head with a deep frown.

“Grimmjow, if you need help, please tell me. But don’t play me along like I’m an idiot. Don’t use me like that...”

“Why does it matter to you whether I need help or not?” Grimmjow admitted.

A soft hand lifted his chin, making him stare right into Ichigo’s eyes. Grimmjow found himself trapped in them, unable to escape their hold.

Ichigo was just as lost in blue. His fingers carefully traced Grimmjow’s sore jaw, a butterfly touch that made the younger man’s heart clench.

“I told you already.” Ichigo swallowed. “You are my friend.”

Somehow the word felt less than adequate.

“Could have fooled me.” Grimmjow snorted, but Ichigo failed to see the amusement.

“You don’t feel the same?”

Grimmjow looked at him, his frown deepening.

Could Kurosaki be serious just now?

“What’s there to like about me anyway?”

“I won’t know until you tell me.”

“Kurosaki...”

“That’s what bothers me.” Ichigo stared right into his eyes. “You’re more to me than just one drunken guy I met at a bar.”

Grimmjow didn’t say anything.

Subconsciously, he leaned into the hand that Ichigo still had on his cheek, closer and closer to him until their breaths mingled.

“Is it one sided?” Ichigo muttered.

Friend.

Grimmjow would have teased him about it, mocked him, called him names. The thought of doing so didn’t even cross his mind though. Instead, he felt like telling Kurosaki everything, letting it all out and smacking it on the table.

For the first time, he didn’t think of it as doing the walk of shame. He didn’t believe Ichigo would run away.

Rather, he only seemed to be getting closer. Him, his lips, his soft breath.

“I-”

When Grimmjow raised his head to tell him, the front door opened.

Both men jumped back with the surprise, but Isshin and his two daughters didn’t notice what was going on.

“We’re baaaack!” Isshin’s cheery voice rang through the house, but just as quickly as it came, he and his daughters froze at the sight in front of them.

Ichigo and Grimmjow stared back at them, at a complete loss for words. What could they even say. Kurosaki’s family left for less than half an hour, and things went down the drain in that short space of time.

Grimmjow’s face was bruised and red, his eyes glistering and hooded like he had a big headache. Ichigo, as untouched as he seemed, didn’t appear that much better. Although his family suspected he had a rough week already, now the bags under his eyes looked that much heavier, and he seemed resigned to something he didn’t want.

Grimmjow looked at his feet again. Ichigo was still crouched in front of him, although his hands fell from his face to his knees.

A new wave of nervousness hit him. Just moments ago he would have blurted out everything, and now he was back to his seclusion. The hands that rested on his legs felt like they could burn him. Yet, he was more than happy to keep them there.

“I have to get going.” Grimmjow stood up, and with him Ichigo did so as well.

“Hey, what happened?” Isshin darted towards him, his face visibly concerned.

Grimmjow just couldn’t take it anymore. He threw the blanket off his back and pulled on the sweater Kurosaki handed him before as quickly as he could.

“Thanks for lunch.” He brushed Isshin off, refusing to face the family’s worried expressions. “But I’m late anyway.”

Ichigo only gave him an indescribable look. Grimmjow stared at his eyes for a moment. He understood what was behind them, after all Ichigo did put himself out there, even if just a bit.

Did he really think Grimmjow only came here to blackmail him further? Ah! He wished he had. There was something much more irrational behind it. He was drawn to Ichigo like a magnet, and he reached the point of no return. He would always crave his company, good or bad.

“Thanks for the shirt.” He murmured, and walked away, not sparing anyone else a further glance.

“Wait.” Isshin called out.

Grimmjow clenched his fist. He had no time for this anymore, and that old man was the last person he wanted to talk with about anything.

“We brought you a new phone.” Isshin said, disarmingly.

Grimmjow looked at him with a strange expression, not quite sure what to make of it. Isshin’s hands trusted a brand new box at him, and in it was a photo of a modern looking smartphone that had to have been pricey.

 _God damn it all,_ Grimmjow cursed himself.

“Keep it.”

Isshin almost looked dejected. Almost. Above that he was surprised.

“I’d probably lose it within a day anyway.” Grimmjow murmured, and walked away without anyone stopping him.

Once he was gone, the Kurosaki house fell completely silent.

Karin and Yuzu looked at their brother to find him standing by the couch with a solemn look.

“Ichigo...” Isshin spoke first. “What happened?”

Ichigo lifted his eyes from the floor and faced his father hesitantly.

Then, he sighed, slouching his shoulders.

“There’s something I have to tell you… I’m sorry...”

 

* * *

 

 

Grimmjow didn’t know where he was going. He saved up the little money he had on a 24-hour gym subscription just so he could have a place to shower and spend the night once the weather started cooling.

For a while, his trick worked, and Nelliel didn’t mind him there enough to kick him out once she figured it all out. But all day she’d been calling his phone over and over again, and he knew the reason why.

He took some guy’s clothes. Big deal. It was the only time he ever did something like that to the gym’s costumers – with the small exception of some pocket change which wasn’t even enough to be noticed. He needed everything he took a lot more than the people he took it from anyway.

He walked through the streets alone, still shaken up that he lost his shelter...

And much more.

He caught his reflection on a car window and he barely recognized himself. It wasn’t the styled hair, or the bruise across his nose, but the look of complete defeat written all over him.

Fuck.

He turned away from it and carried on, burying his hands on the pockets of Kurosaki’s hoodie. It might as well be his now. Grimmjow wasn’t about to head back there to return it anytime soon. Even so, it still carried that familiar scent that belonged only to Ichigo.

“Grimmjow?”

A quaint voice hesitantly called out for him at the distance, and he raised his head to see one of Kurosaki’s friends. She was the long, auburn haired one, although her name evaded him. Next to him was another familiar face.

Too many chance encounters for one day. He walked past the two of them without another word.

The woman was surprised by it, but her company knew better. His bright green eyes barely showed a glimpse of interest, as he looked at her.

“You know him?” The man asked Orihime, once Grimmjow was long gone.

“Yes, he’s a friend of Kurosaki’s.” She told him, still looking at the way Grimmjow went.

“He’s not a good person to befriend.” He said.

“You know him, Ulquiorra?”

The man nodded.

“He’s a homeless guy from the neighboring district.”

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Isshin gets to be a proper father figure.

Two weeks had gone by since Ichigo told him the truth about his love life, and Isshin still hadn’t made a full recovery.

Not that he liked Jaegerjaquez that much by any means, but it hurt enough to know his own son thought of him as such a loon that he actually went that far to stop his comments. He forgave him, of course, but even if he brushed it off it didn’t make it go completely away.

Urahara did offer him a reassuring pat on the back (and yet another cup of tea). Isshin guessed his old friend must have been as shocked by it as he was.

That’s why he was focusing on the positives. Sure, his son looked even more downcast now than he did before, but hey, at least his virginity was intact.

Eh, at least _back_ _there_ it was. He didn’t really want to think about it, just like he didn’t really want to give him the good old “protection” speech again – yes, again, because his son being more than old enough and with a medical degree on top of that didn’t mean a reminder wasn’t welcome every now and then.

And besides that little detail, at least his son managed to tell the truth in the end. That had immeasurable value.

“ _If the truth wasn’t something you regretted, it wouldn’t make a difference whether you said it or not._ ” Isshin told him. “ _You did a stupid thing, but you owned up to your mistake. And I guess you’ve been a pretty decent kid so far, so you’re entitled to a few dumb decisions._ ”

That came out more easily than he thought. Ichigo didn’t seem all too reassured by it, but that was his own guilt pushing forward.

Isshin could even eat some of his own words, mostly those he constantly repeated and that eventually drove his son to desperate measures.

Growing up wasn’t about having a wife and kids. It was about constant discovery, making mistakes and learning from them. Even he still went through that very process and he was a grown man who did all the marriage and children he was up to already.

Yet, even if he wasn’t the most observant person out there, he noticed his son had a certain air of melancholy, and for once in his life he refrained from kicking it out of him. Not just because Ichigo became very good at dodging his stealthy attacks, but because the cause of it had a very clear solution.

Isshin told him that much after a few days.

“ _You know, there are better things to be doing than moping all day. You still have amends to make… As have I. Why don’t you find that boy again and bring him over properly?_ ”

Ichigo might have been a little stunned, and might have even acted like it was all in the past, but his old man wasn’t about to fall for his lies again.

 _Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,_ he thought.

Paid by his son to relentlessly make a bad impression – and yet that blue haired boy showed up that one day by his own volition, looking presentable and educated enough as a last ditch effort to… to what? Whether it was all fake or not, if Jaegerjaquez’s company made his son even a bit happier, you could bet your ass Isshin was going to track him down.

And he tried. He tried very hard, but that boy was elusive. He all but vanished into thin air, and it didn’t help that none of them knew much about him.

Well, one person did, according to Ichigo.

Orihime, the girl Isshin so often daydreamed of as a future girlfriend of his son’s (and don’t you judge this hopeful single parent), had a friend who had very few flattering words about Grimmjow.

Few as in, none.

It was a black haired boy with an unsettling, deadpanned face and inexpressive green eyes that seemed to know Jaegerjaquez from a while back, and told his son that he was usually seen on the other side of town. Knowing that, it was no wonder they couldn’t find him anywhere.

So, as the proactive man Isshin was, he broadened his horizons. Right up to the nasty looking area of the city.

He didn’t find Jaegerjaquez right away. He wasn’t all too familiar with those streets, and felt unsure of where to look at. It was by sheer coincidence that he decided to drop by a small grocery store to pick up items for dinner, and while on the line to the cashier, saw light blue hair on his peripheral.

After those long weeks of searching to no avail, there he was, just outside the store, counting change and looking at the sky like he had nothing better to do with his time.

Same old boots and jacket, same old tattered jeans, and a shirt that Isshin could have sworn belonged to Ichigo.

When Jaegerjaquez walked away with a small bag of groceries of his own, Isshin cut the queue to purchase his things, ignoring the complains of the elderly couple he wronged.

What? His dinner was just as important as finding his son’s pseuso-romantic interest.

He dashed out of the shop, trying not to bring too much attention to himself, and took in his surroundings to look for Jaegerjaquez.

There weren’t many places he could have gone off to, and sure enough, Isshin found him rather quickly with that bright blue hair of his, sitting down in a dirty looking alley and going through his things.

“Well well, look who’s here.”

Grimmjow looked up, surprised to see a familiar face looking down at him.

Surprised, but not pleased.

“The fuck do you want?” He mumbled, discretely pushing his few possessions to his back.

Not because Isshin Kurosaki, who was staring at him with a sympathetic smile, would steal them, but because he was ashamed they were all he had. A broken phone, a worn out wallet, and bag of cheap tobacco.

Or perhaps not tobacco... but he would ignore that for now.

He was sitting down on an old mattress, covered in newspapers and cardboard like that deemed it enough protection for the winter to come. It would have to do.

This was Grimmjow’s Jaegerjaquez’s room – an old street (one of the cleanest he could find), just far away from the outdoor lights to stay hidden, and just close enough to still feel some of their warmth.

Without hesitation, without disgust, Isshin sat down next to him.

“So.” He begun. “This is where you sleep?”

Grimmjow didn’t answer. He only gave him a weary look.

“For once I actually wish you were warming my son’s bed instead.” Isshin took out a pack of cigarettes from his own pocket, offering Grimmjow one.

Cautiously, and with feigned scorn, he took one.

“How did you find me here?” He finally asked, his voice sounding uncharacteristically tired.

“I followed the trail of crying parents.”

The answer actually made Grimmjow snort. Isshin lit up both their cigarettes.

“So that's what my kids think of me, huh?” He started. “Annoying, overbearing. A crazy old man.”

“I worked really damn hard to make you hate me, you know?” Grimmjow interrupted. “And you still put up with me. Your kid doesn’t know how good he has it. If he knew, he wouldn’t have pulled this stunt.”

Isshin sighed, taking a deep inhale of his cigarette.

Then, an exhale.

“He’s right, I know that.” He spoke. “But as a father, it’s my job to be overbearing and crazy. It’s hard sometimes to remember they’re all grown up. To me you’re all still a bunch of kids.”

“And here I thought you acting like a clown was just the midlife crisis speaking.” Grimmjow snarled.

Isshin actually paused at that, but like so often it came to be, the insult didn’t have the impact Grimmjow expected it to have.

“What about your own father? Does he know you're living in the streets?”

Grimmjow spent a moment in silence, not meeting Isshin’s eyes. When he spoke, he sounded nearly contemplative.

“My old man couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

“Why is that?” Isshin pressed, and Grimmjow only gave him an annoyed glare.

“You saw how I am. Why do you think?”

“I saw how you were when you were trying to scare me off. I also saw how you acted trying to win me over, so I’m not sure what’s it like when you’re not trying at all.”

“Pretty damn close to this.” Grimmjow took another deep inhale of his cigarette. “Hella lot closer to the bad impression than the good one.”

Isshin just watched as the younger man let the smoke swirl around his face like it could take his head up to the clouds with it.

“You know, as a doctor I am obliged to tell you smoking is bad for you.”

“You gave me this.” Grimmjow made an angry face. “Practice what you preach before you give me lessons.”

“Right. I only got them for a special occasion... I’m sorry about your father.” Isshin genuinely said. “You think it might be salvageable?”

“Why do you--” Grimmjow’s question died on the tip of his tongue. He’s been asking too much why the Kurosakis insist on caring for any of his problems when it was just something that _was._ “I don’t care. I don’t like him much either.”

“Every son wants their father to like him.” Isshin forced. “I wasn’t born of immaculate conception either, you know? I know how it is to want approval from the biggest man in your life. And every father wants their son to love them just as much.”

“Not all men...” Grimmjow snorted. “You can’t take back something you never had, and I never had a decent relationship with him.”

“Well, it’s your decision.” Isshin dropped the matter, but there was a pending tone to his voice that showed he wanted to say something else.

Grimmjow pretended he didn’t hear it, but after a small hesitation, Isshin let it out anyway.

“But hey, I do know of _some other man_ you had something with that is due some taking back.”

“I don’t have to stay here and listen to you, you know?”

“So how have you been spending that hard earned money on?” Isshin changed subject.

“Food.” Grimmjow sneered.

Isshin just looked at him.

“… And a gym subscription.” The younger man begrudgingly added, although he didn’t know why he bothered answering that meddling question anyway.

“Really?”

“The receptionist lets me sleep there most times.” Grimmjow explained. “And I get to shower.”

“Wow.” Isshin made an impressed face. “That’s actually well thought.”

“Don’t look so amazed.” He scowled.

“It’s a good trait. It’ll take you places.”

Grimmjow didn’t even smile at the words. The only places life ever took him where dirty alleys like this one, now with the added nightmare of having his... former-pretend-boyfriend’s father giving him something like a motivational talk. Now there’s something he never thought he’d have to deal with.

“I’m not allowed there anymore.” He said.

“Why?”

“Stole a shirt. And pants...”

“You took someone’s clothes?”

“Some guy at the gym went home naked.” Grimmjow snorted, not looking the least bit regretful.

He was tired. Way too tired for this.

“What do you want.” Grimmjow asked again.

“I just saw you by chance, Now I remember I have a friend who’s looking for an employee.”

“It’s not gonna happen.”

“You shouldn’t say that just yet.”

“The moment he sees me, he will know.” Grimmjow weakly protested, like this was a reality he was already well aware of.

“He saw you already, and he knows already.” Isshin nodded. “Doesn’t change anything.”

Grimmjow closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, letting his fag burn away in his free hand.

“Who are you talking about?” He asked with suspicion.

“There are some good people out there, you know?” Isshin continued.

“Like your friend? And what makes you think I’m one of them, that I can be trusted?” Grimmjow harshly interrupted.

“If you weren’t, my son wouldn’t like you so much.”

“Are you stupid?” Grimmjow snarled, hiding his eyes from view behind his hand. “What part of _it was all fake_ didn’t make it past your thick skull?”

“The dating might have been fake, but I know my boy.” Isshin calmly looked at the young man. “He cares about you.”

“You’re delusional.”

“You know why your plan turned out to be so convincing?” Isshin insisted. “I would relish every time he looked at you like he disapproved of something you did or said. And he did that a lot, so it was easy to notice.”

Isshin smiled at Grimmjow, who still avoided looking at him. He kept silent, just listening.

“Of course he’d play along with you sometimes. Looking back it was pretty obvious something wasn’t right. My Ichigo was never like that.” Isshin laughed. “It was really easy to blame it all on you. I had to make such a big effort to be polite to you! How could my son ever like someone like that?”

Isshin paused again, with a soft smile and another deep drag.

“But I did it anyway, you know why?” The tobacco smoke lingered around his mouth. “Because every once in a while I’d catch these glimpses of him, leaning in just a little bit closer to you. And these twitches of his lips when he was trying not to laugh at your antics.”

Grimmjow took a deep, shaky breath.

“Little habits of his that he only allows himself when he’s at ease with someone.”

“He barely knows me.” Grimmjow said, quietly.

“Maybe. But I think what little he knew, was not just what’s at the surface.” Isshin glanced back at Grimmjow, lifting a large arm to pull the younger man closer and mess up his bright hair. “So I guess I’m back at square one, of just trusting my son’s instincts despite everything.”

Grimmjow scoffed, trying to show annoyance at the abrupt gesture and unwanted contact.

Yet, Isshin couldn’t help but notice that little by little, Grimmjow allowed himself to rest his head on his shoulder, and he wiped his eyes, no longer hiding them from view.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if you remember Urahara mentioning he needed a new employer earlier in this story, but that's what Isshin was referring too...  
> Will the outcome really be this predictable? Stay tuned :O
> 
> Also thank you for your support so far <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! :D  
> But I'll have an epilogue after this, so I'll still see you guys next week. Hope you like it!

Ichigo was exhausted.

It was his own fault. He took up a lot more work than he should have to try not to think, and it did him no good.

He couldn’t focus on his job, he couldn’t focus on anything. He spent a whole week working every shift he could get his hands on, and leaving work to head straight to the streets, roaming around aimlessly in search for bright blue hair.

He found nothing.

It made sense, he supposed. If he were Grimmjow, he’d be avoiding any possible place Ichigo would have looked for him. Even so, it looked like he was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t at the usual bar, he wasn’t blocks away, he wasn’t by any local gym, nowhere. And every night, Ichigo would still go and try to find him, hoping his luck would be different this time around.

It was Orihime's strange new friend, Ulquiorra, who knew who Grimmjow was and where he could be and like an heaven-send gave him some clues.

The last time they saw each other, Ichigo was just starting to pick up the pieces of the puzzle and put them together. Grimmjow was in obvious need of help, and he'd been so slow at realizing it that to have definite confirmation of his struggles was like a slap to the face.

 _I shouldn’t have let him go._ He blamed himself. _I shouldn’t have expected to be able to find him later._

Apparently he had been preoccupied with other late realizations, less to do with money and closer to the heart.

He searched elsewhere, other places Ulquiorra pointed out, with hands on his pockets and constantly alert. These were parts of town he didn’t know, and they weren’t known for being safe. He was tired, on the verge of dozing off, with a brutal headache pounding on his temples.

His father spotted Grimmjow first that afternoon, and Ichigo almost wanted to smack him for not just dragging him back home when he had the chance.

It was hard to cuss his old man when he was fully to blame for everything, though. When he figured out where the alleyway next to the grocery shop was, it was empty.

Of course Grimmjow wouldn’t sit there and wait to be found.

The night was cold.

Ichigo didn’t know if they were that much alike, but he figured he might as well try to think like one he was looking for. He’d want a warm place to sleep at. Thankfully he did spend enough time with Grimmjow to know what course of action he’d take to make that happen.

 

* * *

 

Even if the last thing he felt like doing was grinding against this chick, Grimmjow could at least thank his body for still managing the responses it did.

He was horny enough to pull this off, and if he did well enough and keep it up until she passed out, he'd get a nice 6 hour post-sex nap on a nice bed. At least that was the plan, although as long as it was someplace warm, he didn’t give a shit whether it was a bed, a couch, or a lobby.

There was a strange flavor to her, from the alcohol in her mouth and fruity perfume that was borderline sickening. He held his breath as he kissed and teased her neck, feeling like he could _taste_ that godawful smell right off her skin.

There was a good way to look at his situation: he didn’t have a job. He had to come up with other ways to get what he wanted, and he was too prideful to actually take money from sex like your common prostitute. This was fine to keep up the appearance that he had things in control. He could boast about his conquests, probably.

“Lets take this elsewhere.” He murmured lowly on her ear, and she backed away to give him a close mouthed smirk.

She was pretty, he gave her that. Her eyes were violet and hooded and her bouncy, dark hair curled so perfectly he wanted to poke his fingers through it. She knew what she wanted, and she didn’t want to wait for it either. He could have done a lot worse, and very difficultly any better. It didn't take long for them to walk out of the bar together, her leading the way and him following with a strange sense of finality.

Then, he heard it, barely ten seconds after they walk out the door.

“Grimmjow.”

Just that single call made him raise his head to look the other man straight in the eye.

“Kurosaki...” He muttered before he could help himself.

 

* * *

 

 

A wave of relief washed Ichigo’s biggest fears away. He knew logically he had no reason to worry. Grimmjow could look after himself, as he clearly had for a long time before they even met each other. Yet, there was a lingering concern bothering him. Maybe it wasn’t so much for his safety, but for the possibility that he’d really never see the other man again.

But there they were, those vibrant blue eyes staring right at him with clear surprise, like Ichigo was the last person Grimmjow expected to see.

A moment of tense silence passed by them. They just looked at each other, Grimmjow with parted lips and a face of disbelief that he quickly masked.

“What are you doing here?”

Ichigo scowled at the question. Grimmjow still had his arm around his latest conquest, keeping her by his side despite her growing discomfort.

“What do you think?”

“Who’s this?” The small woman asked, as her daring hands dropped to her sides and she finally managed to step away from Grimmjow's tightening grip.

He pretty much ignored her, however.

“You really want to screw up my night again?” He groaned. “Won’t be happy until I’m sleeping on a ditch, will you?”

“You know that’s not true.” Ichigo frowned.

There was no time for petty talking. The woman, catching the mood, walked back into the bar without wasting another second of her night. Grimmjow noticed, but besides the evident gritting of his teeth, he didn’t do anything about it.

“Then what?”

“I want to talk to you.”

“Takes two to tango.” Grimmjow smirked.

Ichigo crossed his arms in front of his chest. Of course Grimmjow would try to make this difficult.

“Yeah? Well you’re about to listen.” Ichigo scoffed. “And since I know you that well, you won’t be able to keep your mouth shut. So we talk.”

“Making that a challenge, Kurosaki? You’ll lose.” Grimmjow snarled.

“Ichigo.”

“Huh?” Grimmjow raised an eyebrow.

“My name’s Ichigo.”

Grimmjow paused, taking him in. There was familiarity in those words, though he was the one who insisted on a first name basis.

It wasn’t really much of a deal, but Grimmjow always considered himself to be an informal guy, and Jaegerjaquez was a name that reminded him so much more of his father than of himself. Not that Kurosaki would know. Or would he relate to it in the same way. If their positions were reversed, he’d rather be called by his surname than the embarrassment that was _Ichigo._

Eh. Didn’t matter. Seconds ticked away too slowly before he realized they fell silent again, like a couple of clueless idiots.

“Thought you wanted to talk. Haven’t said a word yet.” Grimmjow called him out.

“Not here.” Ichigo shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“Got lost in my beautiful eyes again?”

Ichigo looked angrily at Grimmjow’s mocking smirk.

“You think being an ass is going to change anything?” He snapped. “Is vulnerability such a big deal to you that you run off to the other side of town and act like nothing happened?”

“Who said shit about vulnerability?” Grimmjow growled.

“You did, right between getting smacked by a door and running off.”

“I’m not the one with butterflies in my stomach, I-chi-go.” Grimmjow curled his lip in distaste.

“Butterflies?” Ichigo actually sounded insulted. “Think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“You give me reasons to. Scaring away my lays, looking for me after we called it all off--”

“I don’t want to talk about this in the middle of the street.” Ichigo’s strict voice interrupted him.

“Yeah? ‘Cause I saw your old man a while ago, and I’m pretty sure he told you I haven’t got much else to go to.” Grimmjow spat out.

Ichigo hesitated at the words. He knew this was the time to thread carefully. Grimmjow was a man with a mountain-sized pride, and if he so much poked it, things wouldn’t end well.

“Who said anything about you having a say in location anyway?”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Grimmjow’s hardening frown, although he had to restrain himself not to immediately facepalm. _Threading carefully._ God, he was never good at it.

“Wow, you actually think I’m going with you now?”

“I have my car down the road.” Ichigo offered.

“Amazing, I think those butterflies flew to your head.”

Ichigo closed his eyes and called forth any patience he had left, taking a deep breath. He’d been looking for Grimmjow for hours, but he couldn’t let those frustrations get to him now that he actually found him.

“Please.”

“Aw, since you ask so nicely.”

That was it, Ichigo couldn’t handle that mocking for another second.

Without waiting, he took Grimmjow’s wrist abruptly and started marching towards his car, forcing the other man with him. Grimmjow was caught off guard for more than a few steps, but pressed his feet hard on the floor and stuck in place.

Ichigo looked back at him, his lips pressed firmly shut. Then, he tugged.

And tugged again.

And again.

Fucking hell.

“Move!” He snapped.

“Fuck you!” Grimmjow stood resilient.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you other sentences?” Ichigo gritted his teeth as he kept trying to drag Grimmjow along. It wasn’t working. It was like the other man was glued to the ground.

“If you’re in such a hurry to volunteer, say it now instead of trying to drag me off to fuck knows where!”

Marking his words, Grimmjow pulled harshly on his side.

Ichigo was by no means a small man, or weak, but he was so caught off guard by the gesture he all but flew up to Grimmjow’s chest. That contact felt like a burn. He shoved Grimmjow back without waiting a further moment, but his wrists were caught in a firm grasp that kept him all too close.

Right, Grimmjow literally used to live at the gym. How could Ichigo forget that?

“I mean my apartment, jackass!”

“Oh oh.” Grimmjow chuckled, quiet the feat while maintaining his snarl. “Getting bold now?”

“Get off me!”

“I don’t think so. Bet you like being held like that, you repressed little--”

Before he had the time to finish his insult, Ichigo hooked a foot around Grimmjow’s leg and bent his knee back, taking him down to the hard, concrete floor.

In a heap, he fell on top of Grimmjow and rushed to straddle him in place.

It was a practiced move. Ever since he was a kid, Ichigo had some training in martial arts, and knowing how to take down an opponent was part of the basics. However, he wasn’t ready for the strained moan that left Grimmjow’s mouth once he was trapped under him.

Both men froze on the ground, one with sheer embarrassment, the other in a state of disbelief. Grimmjow's head was running miles per hour, blaming a slight inebriation and that long-gone woman's hands for his state.

“So who likes what now?” Ichigo blurted out.

He didn’t even have the time to regret his own words, as Grimmjow shoved him violently to the ground like he had an infectious disease.

“You won’t be so talkative after I bash your teeth in.”

“My teeth are in my mouth already Grimmjow-” 

“Shut the hell up!” Grimmjow raised his fist, as he pressed his other hand down on Ichigo’s chest.

“I spend the whole day looking after you.” Ichigo choked out.

That large, clenched fist didn’t move from it’s position, held threateningly over Ichigo’s face.

“I don’t want to leave things unfinished between us...” He continued, abruptly stopping when Grimmjow’s hand smashed against the concrete next to Ichigo’s head.

“I’m finished with you, Kurosaki. I don’t need your help.” Grimmjow’s voice came out less firm than he wanted, but it wasn't the burning pain on his fist that showed on his words. He thought the heartbeat against his chest was so much louder it would drown them.

The urge to smack Ichigo a good one was hard to restrain. Grimmjow didn’t consider why he would restrain it though. His hand darted to Kurosaki’s face, squishing his cheeks together hard until those obnoxious lips looked like a fish’s.

“You and your idiot father, and the rest of your happy little family can get the hell out of my way--”

Grimmjow was cut off by a sharp pain against his cheek.

It was so unexpected, the noise of that slap almost seemed to echo in the street. When Grimmjow looked down to see Ichigo’s scowl staring back at him, he went livid.

“Did you just-?”

“I don’t care if you want it or not, I’m going to do it anyway!” Ichigo sat up, readying himself for a possible punch heading his way.

“Get a room!” A mocking voice called out from the distance.

Grimmjow twisted his head all too quickly, staring at the offender like he just found a perfect punching bag as a Kurosaki alternative. Some guy laughing at them with his group of friends - they were always loudmouths when they weren't alone. Ichigo could only look up to him, suddenly unsure if that fist would ever haul his way. 

“Grimmjow, come with me.” Ichigo tried pleading again, catching the other’s attention back. “Just this once, and I won’t bother you again.”

Grimmjow didn’t say anything. He looked as though he was stuck between his refusal, and just wanting to get it over with.

Maybe as they say, curiosity killed the cat.

Grimmjow pinched Ichigo’s cheek too harshly again, getting up with impatience written on his face.

“Let’s get it over with then.” He snarled, snapping again when Ichigo took a second too long to get back up. “Move it!”

 

* * *

 

 

To say the car ride was awkward was an understatement.

It only lasted about fifteen minutes to go from that bar to Ichigo’s house, but those minutes ticked away in absolute silence.

When Ichigo made a move to turn on the radio, he saw an angry glare sent his way from the corner of his eye.

Fine. Let it be tense if Grimmjow was so adamant.

Once they reached the modest apartment block he called home, he fumbled for his keys, suddenly feeling a growing panic.

Yeah, he didn’t really think things through too well. Or rather, he thought of what he was going to do, he just had no idea how to… inform Grimmjow about it in a way that wouldn’t grant him a thousand threats to his livelihood.

The door opened, and he walked in, unceremoniously followed by the other man.

“That’s the living room.” Ichigo nodded ahead while he took off his shoes. “There’s a TV, central heating. The sofa looks a bit rugged, but it’s comfortable enough.”

“I don’t give a shit, get to it.” Grimmjow urged him.

Ichigo though, didn’t seem to hear or care.

He walked ahead through the living room, nodding at a door to his right.

“Bathroom.” He signaled, all too quickly before he kept going until he reached a small kitchen. “Kitchen. Top two shelves of the fridge are mine, so they’re off limits.”

“Do I look like I care?” Grimmjow snapped, his heart beating faster and faster. “Why are you giving me a tour to your shitty place?”

Ichigo again didn’t answer. He walked past him in a hurry into another room. It was a small apartment, but he didn’t spend that much time in it anyway. There was a living room, one bathroom, one bedroom, and a kitchen, and it was more than enough for him and for his busy bachelor life.

“This is my room.” He nervously said. Heading to his generously sized bed, he grabbed some sheets and blankets that were neatly folded over his mattress and shoved them on Grimmjow’s arms.

“What are you--”

Grimmjow found himself being pushed out of the bedroom before he could form a protest that was coherent enough.

He had no idea what Kurosaki was doing, but a sinking suspicion started quickly forming in his head.

When he turned around to face Ichigo again, the older man didn’t bother giving him time to talk.

“You can’t get in here, so you can sleep on the couch. Goodnight.”

Just like that, the door to Ichigo’s bedroom was shut right in his face.

Grimmjow just stood there, wide eyed, feeling like a total idiot.

It was the sound of the keys locking said door that brought him back to the present.

“Hey!” He dropped the blankets Kurosaki gave him to the floor, and begun pounding on the door to no avail. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing!?”

Inside the bedroom, Ichigo was seconds away from ripping his own hair out.

What was he doing? Damn good question, _what the hell was he doing?_

“Answer me!” Came the poorly isolated voice from the other side of the door.

Ichigo stared at it as it shook with Grimmjow’s punches. What was it with him lately and his succession of bad ideas? He’d like to still have a door left in the morning, so why did he invite in a dude that looked ready to destroy it?

For all his strength though, that door resisted Grimmjow’s assaults well enough that said man settled to punctuate every fist with an insult.

“What do you think you’re doing, Kurosaki! You ask me to talk and then hide away in your room?!”

Ichigo bit his lip, frustrated at Grimmjow’s slowness. Couldn’t he just take his offer? Hadn’t he made it clear enough?

“Go sleep, Grimmjow.”

“I don’t need your charity, Kurosaki!” Grimmjow yelled back. “You think you can look down on me like this, and offer me your couch like it’s a fucking privilege to sleep inside this dump?”

Looks like he did get it after all, but he was still an idiot.

“Dump?” Ichigo snapped. “You have a lot of nerve to insult my place when you live in a literal dumpster!”

“Oh, now he talks!”

“I have to talk because you’re too stupid to accept what you’re given!”

“I didn’t ask for--”

“You didn’t have to!” Ichigo raised his voice.

During the brief moment of silence that followed, he could hear the muffled sound of his downstairs neighbor hitting the ceiling with a broom and telling them to shut up.

“I already told you you’re my friend, dumbass.” Ichigo scowled, leaning into the door. “Why would I want a friend to spend the winter in the street.”

“I’m not going to stay.” Grimmjow said, and his voice was so close to Ichigo’s ear, it was almost as he was talking to it.

“Why not.”

“I have my pride.” Grimmjow scoffed. “I can take care of myself.”

“By sleeping with a different woman every night?” Ichigo reprimanded. “At some point they’d be safer screwing a public restroom.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“You’re better off with me.”

Grimmjow nearly choked.

“What happened to not bothering me ever again?”

“I lied. It's kind of my thing, remember?”

Grimmjow paused at the words. He took them in carefully, finally noticing how close Ichigo sounded through the door that divided them. With a frown, he smacked the door right where he assumed Kurosaki’s ear would be, and to his satisfaction, he received a low curse in return.

“So you didn’t want to talk, you just dragged me here because you’re too much of a pussy to properly offer.”

“Like you’d accept if I did.” Ichigo retorted.

“I’m still not accepting.” Grimmjow glanced at the welcoming living room around him.

“Why? Too much of a pussy to take help?”

Grimmjow bit his teeth at the insult. “I don’t want to owe you shit.”

“Yeah well, ease up on your expectations because I’m only letting you stay until you get a solid income.”

Grimmjow paused, a bit surprised by it. Still, he brushed it off.

“You clearly don’t know how long that’s been taking me.”

“It makes no difference to me now, money wise. You can pay half the rent later and you’ll actually keep my wallet fuller.”

“You thought about this.” Grimmjow said. It wasn’t a question, but Ichigo answered it anyway.

“I had time to do it since you left.”

Grimmjow didn’t say anything else for a few minutes. Ichigo just stood by the door, unsure of what he was waiting for. Grimmjow might like to act tough, but Winter was coming, and it was already promising to be a hard one to withstand.

“Wouldn’t you rather live alone?” Grimmjow asked.

Ichigo was putting himself in an uncomfortable position. He had a few room-mates during University, and he knew from those first hand experiences that living with someone else was never as easy as it looked.

People were dirty, people kept the washing machine full for days, they didn’t do the dishes as quickly as he hoped they would, left their underwear on the bathroom floor. And Grimmjow… He just looked like the type of person that would piss him off with things like those on a daily basis.

But Ichigo had an unnatural amount of empathy to share, and when he spent as much time with someone as he did with Grimmjow, he was bound to worry for them. He wouldn’t be able to look himself in the mirror if he knew the other man was out in the street when he could have done something to help him.

That wasn’t all. He couldn’t forget Grimmjow’s breath mingling with his own, or the colour of his eyes when he looked like he would finally open up to him, only to have that taken away from them in a heartbeat.

“You never did tell me why you went to my family’s home.” Ichigo said.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

Grimmjow faced the door with unease. The other man didn’t seem willing to let it go, that much was obvious by the sheer fact he actually brought that up so many days later.

“What would your best guess be?”

“Seriously Grimmjow,” Ichigo clenched his jaw. “Why won’t you tell me?”

“You should know.”

Ichigo stayed silent. Not having to face the person he was talking with was a paradox of sorts. It made it so much easier, and still so much harder.

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.” Ichigo settled with a sigh. “For now, I just want you to stay here.”

“Ichigo-”

“Don’t refuse me, Grimmjow.”

“Ichigo.” Grimmjow’s unnaturally quiet voice called out. “Open the door.”

The request seemed calm enough, even though Ichigo didn’t feel the least bit inclined to abide to it.

Eh. He couldn’t hide forever.

Hesitantly, Ichigo unlocked the door and opened it. He came face to face with Grimmjow’s unreadable eyes, but nothing happened.

No kick, punch, no shirt grasp, no sneer. Nothing.

“You’re gonna regret this.” Grimmjow finally spoke.

“Hm.” Ichigo paused. “I’m too busy to regret anything.”

Like a trigger, those words made Grimmjow launch himself forward, and before Ichigo had time to raise his arms in self-defense, he was caught in a strong embrace.

Automatically, his arms wrapped themselves around Grimmjow’s large figure, as they both simply stood there.

He didn’t know what to do.

For starters, because he was sure those butterflies Grimmjow mentioned before were there after all, and they felt like they could burst out of his mouth any given moment. But above that, because Grimmjow was hugging him.

It wasn’t just that they’d never been _this_ physically close and that it was scrambling his already dubious sexuality around like a puzzle, but that Grimmjow was actually holding him so tightly and so devoid of ill-meanings. By which he meant that no hand was groping his butt.

(How refreshing.)

He was accepting the offer. He was showing his gratitude.

Ichigo patted that large back with uncertainty. Seconds passed and bit by bit that genuinely surprising reaction turned a little odd. Grimmjow still had his face buried in Ichigo’s neck, and he couldn’t help but notice that beneath the slight impressions of smoke and perspiration, he smelled nice. Clean, minty even. Like the shirt he gave him.

Just as Ichigo was about to break the silence, he felt something wet poking in his neck.

“Agh!” He shoved Grimmjow away, feeling his face at one hundred degrees. “Gross!”

Grimmjow only chuckled at him with that hooded look of his, as Ichigo wiped at his neck where he received an invasive lick.

“That’s for the public restroom insult.”

“You had that one coming.” Ichigo frowned.

“It made you sound jealous.”

“And you keep assuming things you shouldn’t.” Ichigo looked away, an action that didn’t go unnoticed.

Grimmjow’s curiosity was eating at him. Isshin’s words kept replaying in his head over and over again, and his scowl deepened the more he thought about them.

_He cares about you._

“I was given reasons to.” He says.

“Who says I like you that way because I offered you a couch?” Ichigo still wasn’t meeting his eyes.

“That’s not the reason.”

“What’s your reason then?” Ichigo looked away, figuring there must have been a thousand by now.

“Your dad told me.”

Ichigo’s head snapped towards Grimmjow so quickly, it was impressive that he didn’t crack his own neck. A thousand reasons indeed, but he wasn’t expecting that one.

“What?”

“Your father.” Grimmjow spoke, his deep voice sounding intimate on the quiet room. “He told me you care about me.”

Ichigo chewed on the inside of his mouth. He didn’t tell his father anything about feelings, so what could the old man have possibly told Grimmjow?

He wasn’t that perceptive, was he? Of course not.

“Yeah, of course.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but much like having Grimmjow so close made him uneasy, so did the innocent admittance. “And?”

Grimmjow’s mouth twitched, half annoyed, half hesitant.

“So you admit it.” He stated.

“Admit what?” Ichigo looked away from that blue stare, but everything around him was too dark.

Too bland by comparison.

His heart was racing. He didn’t like where this was heading.

Or rather, he didn’t like the uncertainty of it. Ichigo felt like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. It was a lot easier to play innocent, even if he knew perfectly well where he went wrong.

How could he not? He’d been on the verge of smacking himself daily for all the times Grimmjow caused him tingles of affection, dismay, and even the aforementioned jealousy, and they’ve only been around each other for five days.

It felt longer because during those weeks apart he thought about him too often to be forgivable.

He bit his lower lip, lost midst his thoughts.

Unlike Grimmjow, he never noticed that was a habit of his.

A rough thumb reached for his mouth to stop it, and Ichigo looked surprised at Grimmjow’s intrusive gesture.

Grimmjow lowered his arm back down, pressing his own lips tightly at his lack of restraint.

It was the nervousness that was doing him in. For all his rough attitude it was getting the best of him.

“Still playing dumb?”

Ichigo looked at him, seeming just as uncomfortable.

 _Yeah, okay._ Grimmjow cursed himself. _This was a mistake._

He begun to step away to make a dignified retreat when the other suddenly interrupted him.

“I thought you were so sure of it ever since...” Ichigo started, looking straight at Grimmjow with the most indifferent tone he could. “I don’t know, five minutes after you met me?”

He took a deep breath, failing miserably at sounding nonchalant.

Grimmjow quietly let his body fall back to place.

“I’m still sure of it.” He stubbornly said.

“Yeah?”

“I just thought it’d be interesting to hear it coming out of your mouth.”

“Why? So I have to fend off more of your commentary?” Ichigo scowled, needing a shield around him. “What’s it gonna be this time, that I’m closeted, or that I specifically fancy you?”

Grimmjow paused, unsure of what to answer.

“I’m not trying to make fun of you.” He settled. “I mean, they’re probably both true but...”

Ichigo smacked his arm, maybe a bit too hard.

“Yeah, I care about you.” Ichigo looked away, a bit flustered. “I mean, you’re here right now, so. Of course I care.”

“You care about me.” Grimmjow hesitantly spoke.

Ichigo wanted to strangle him. What was the point of repeating those embarrassing words? But he couldn't focus on his own annoyance long enough. Grimmjow was approaching him in an unsure manner, slowly shortening the distance between them like he wondered if he could get away with whatever he did now.

It was too close to something Ichigo would have enjoyed, too easy. He didn’t trust it.

“I care about a whole lot of people.” He defended.

“Not a whole lot of people care about me though.” Grimmjow was undeterred by it, and his arm reached out to Ichigo's.

The distance between them grew dimmer. The walls were harder to keep up.

“What are you doing, Grimmjow?”

Ichigo’s voice put a halt to their proximity. Blue eyes met brown, filled with hesitation.

 _What was he doing? What the hell did it look like he was doing?_ Grimmjow gritted his teeth in frustration, but despite his tendencies he didn’t voice his thoughts. He understood the security behind those words, or at least he felt like he did.

“I care about you too.” He offered, feeling beyond awkward.

Despite the bravado it was hard not to doubt himself, not to wonder if he was completely misreading the signals. Grimmjow didn’t deserve the opportunity either, did he? He opened his mouth, hesitating for a long moment before he found the courage to continue.

“If you wanted to know why I went to your old man’s house, that was it. I wanted to see you again.”

His mouth closed as soon as he finished saying those words, lips tense and tight, frown set on his face.

Likely because he was never that great at the whole talking-about-feelings bullshit, he didn't know what to expect. Ichigo kind of sounded like a sap sometimes, but what did he know? He didn't feel like he was about to get a movie worthy make-out scene. All Grimmjow was sure of was that if some guy said that to him, he would have showed him the way out with a couple of threats on the farewell. 

Yet, as he worded out that little confession of his own, he didn’t receive a rough shove, or a steamy kiss.

Unlike the cinema they just stayed in place, completely silent…

Waiting...

Wondering...

...Until his patience wore out.

“So. You’re just gonna stand there and not say anything.”

On his own mind, Ichigo’s brain was running in an endless hamster wheel.

Grimmjow cared about him too. And if they were really on the same page, he meant it in a very particular way. That would have been disarming, if it hadn’t melted his brain-cells as soon as he heard it. 

But Grimmjow said something else. He heard it, but he had to pause and deconstruct the sentence, pulling himself together.

What could he possibly say to that? He wasn’t exactly smooth, or romantic… not that he thought romance would be appreciated by Grimmjow.

Ichigo smirked. 

“Is that a pout, or are you puckering up?”

Grimmjow looked confused for a very brief second, until he picked that piece of dialogue up.

“Tch, that sounds like a good reaction.”

“It was a good answer.” Ichigo avoided his gaze.

“And what if I am puckering up?”

Ichigo swallowed dry.

 _This is too easy, don't be an idiot_ , his head warned him, but much like the past weeks he wasn't using much of it anymore. He reached for Grimmjow’s waist and pulled him closer.

Although they were more or less the same height, he noticed a small difference now that he hadn’t picked up on before. Grimmjow was just a bit taller.

Ichigo met blue eyes above his.

So.

Kissing a man.

He wasn’t used to being the short one.

He paused, considering the person in front of him and disregarding his growing impatience. He felt his face heat up, but he wasn't alone in that predicament.

Grimmjow looked down at him, ever the impatient guy, finding himself a little annoyed. Kurosaki didn’t seem all that happy to smooch him with that good ol’ frown of his back on his face, and this was already taking too long for his liking.

He was about to give him a piece of his mind about leading people on, when he noticed the subtle swing of his body, as Ichigo rolled his heels to be at eye level with him. The hands on Grimmjow’s waist pressed just a bit harder on the skin to subtly push himself up.

 _Oh my god_. Grimmjow barely managed to stop himself from snorting.

Kurosaki’s golden brown eyes fluttered shut as he finally raised to meet his mouth.

Too bad he wasn’t finding it.

Ichigo opened one eye again and peered at Grimmjow looking down at him with his lips pressed tightly together, and amusement written all over his face.

It took him a moment to understand. Ichigo leaned up again, only to see Grimmjow copy him, and placing himself out of reach.

Quickly enough, that granted him a smack to the chest.

“You asshole!” Ichigo snapped, as Grimmjow finally allowed himself a wide toothed grin. “I should have known you were just...”

“Hm, just what?”

Ichigo glared at him.

“Mocking me.” He said as he pushed himself away from Grimmjow, his head going on a self-punishing tirade of  _I warned you it was too good to be true!,_  only to be caught by a firm hand.

He looked back at Grimmjow with the ever present frown and questioning eyes, as the other man came closer and closer.

“Get used to it.” Grimmjow quietly said, once again leaning closer. “You shouldn't have been so pushy. I’ll be doing that a lot, for as long as you want me around.”

“Keep that up and that won’t be very long.” Ichigo challenged, his chest feeling beyond constricted.

“I’m a good persuader.” Grimmjow murmured against his cheek. “I’ll show you.”

As Ichigo's hands returned to Grimmjow's side, he couldn't hide the shaky breath that left him. He closed his eyes, only opening them again to stare into blue ones.

“You talk big, Romeo, but that's not what I'm seeing.”

"Tsk. Sorry for wasting time.” Grimmjow chuckled, breathing against his lips.

If he was expecting an objection, he didn’t get any. Ichigo only smirked at him, with a freckled, red face, and a subtle demand in his eyes.

Grimmjow’s hands took hold of Kurosaki’s face, and he closed the distance for good.

Ichigo was far from being an inexperienced kisser. He lost his breath right away none the less, holding Grimmjow with a small uncertainty of what to do.

He was used to being the proactive one, and kissing a man was definitely different. Despite all that, he parted his lips to let Grimmjow in in record time.

His hands rested on the toned chest in front of him, something he wouldn’t get away with the opposite gender, and Grimmjow’s own softly pulled at the hair on the back of his neck to deepen the kiss. He sensed a rumbling moan beneath his fingers, and wanting to know more he let them roam the hard torso.

Nothing was soft about Grimmjow, not his body, not his lips, not even his approach, so Ichigo didn’t bother with careful touches either.

They only parted to breathe, still so close that there was barely any space between them.

Grimmjow tasted of cigarettes still, not wholly pleasant, but strangely addictive.

If he wasn’t careful, he was sure Grimmjow would bypass the couch and spend the night right there on his room.

Heh. His attentions were too occupied to be cautious.

 

 


	16. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You liked this ;A; You really really liked this! ;A;  
> But seriously, thank you all so much for all your comments and kudos and support :D You are are effin awesome, and I love you all, and it's because of you that I'm posting this with such a smile on my face. 
> 
> I'll see you next time!  
> That's all folks!

Urahara’s shop was a bit of a micro-warehouse.

He sold clothes, he sold bathroom towels, he sold appliances, he sold candy and teas and plastic junk. Whenever someone showed up looking for cheap things, they would find them in there, as if the whole place was a black hole filled with…

Stuff.

Nothing interesting or with particularly good quality. Just cheap junk that everyone looked for, for one reason or another.

So of course, he had a bit of a problem with the local kids and delinquents trying to grab said stuff out of there without paying for it, like stink-bombs, fart balloons, and sometimes little arts n’ crafts materials for the nearby school’s classes.

Urahara was an old man. And above all that, he was a lazy man, with dashing good looks and an appealing personality. There was no kid out there who looked at his mop of blond hair and elegant fan and thought “dang, maybe I shouldn’t try to cross this guy”.

Fortunately for him, his sort-of-nephew had a sort-of-boyfriend who was looking for a job, and said sort-of-boyfriend just so happened to look like one mean son of a bitch.

Technically, he was hired to clean up here and there, dust the shelves and wipe the floors to keep his little shop presentable, but Jaegerjaquez took it upon himself to scare away the troublemakers that were harming the business.

And he was a proper professional, with his broad, apron clad 1,86 metres of body and huge hands that looked like they could crush a skull with ease. That and the fact the highlight of Jaegerjaquez’s day was beating up some punk, probably to unwind from his own frustrations that could possibly derive from having to work as a store clerk for some guy who clearly made him uncomfortable, made him an exceptional employee. By the shop’s low standards at least.

Nobody tried approaching them again, except of course the proper paying costumers. There was some property damage here and there, of course, a man as big as Jaegerjaquez sometimes felt like a bull in a china store, but for the most part things improved a lot.

He liked having him around. Urahara even stopped taunting him as much.

“Hey Grimmjow!” Isshin’s voice came from the store’s entrance bell as he waved to the brooding man.

Grimmjow didn’t even bother acknowledging him. He had one hand on a broom, and the other on a brand new phone, talking to someone. Someone predictable.

He and Ichigo had become housemates – among other things that went unmentioned for Isshin’s sake – and for all their complicated history, they seemed to be dealing with each other pretty well.

Jaegerjaquez might have still found Isshin to be annoying, but he definitely didn’t feel the same about his son.

“Isshin, come in, I just brewed some tea.” Urahara called for him, adding in a low voice as soon as his friend reached him. “Checking on the boyfriend?”

“Is it too obvious?” The other man asked, a bit concerned.

“Not at all.” Urahara lied, as he reached for the small kitchenette in another division, and poured them both a cup.

“It’s impressive how you always have tea ready just as I come in.” Isshin observed.

“Ah, almost as if you have a predictable daily routine. So what do you want to know?”

“Is he behaving?” Isshin glanced at the shop, as Grimmjow wiped the floor without paying much attention to it.

“Hm, you still don’t trust him?”

“I still have to make sure he's doing well.” Isshin explained. “I guess I can’t help but feel there’s some bad blood between us… and since he’s here to stay...”

“Of course, you want him to like you.” Urahara took a sip. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Give yourselves some time.”

“Repetition is the key to good relationships, so the more he sees me around, the better.”

“Hm hm.”

“You know I get along well with all of my son’s friends. Even the most questionable ones liked me a lot.” Isshin reminisced more to himself than to Urahara. “One of them even lived in his closet… And there I was, pairing them off in my head. It seems as though the one in the closet was Ichigo all along.”

“Uh...”

“Doesn’t matter. It looks like Jaegerjaquez is doing well.”

“Oh he is. Hard working enough.” Urahara shrugged. “He has to get used to it still, yesterday he broke one of the most expensive vases I have here.”

“Really? How much?” Isshin looked concerned.

“Oh, ten dollars. He probably saved me twenty already by scaring away teenagers, so it’s fine.” Urahara brushed it off with a wave of his hand. “I’m not sure he’s going to appreciate having you spy on him.”

“I’m not spying.” Isshin said, as he peered through the door, not even bothering to face Urahara. “I’m just keeping my old friend company.”

“Hmmm, you sure make a guy feel special.”

 

* * *

 

Grimmjow gritted his teeth as he overheard the conversation between his boss and his self-proclaimed father in law. Subtlety was still completely lost to Isshin Kurosaki, and it’s been getting on his nerves for a long while now.

Ichigo on the other line picked up on it right away.

“Is my dad there again?” He asked.

“I’m amazed you can’t hear him from over there.” Grimmjow groaned. “He’s trying to keep me in check, like I’m going to burn the whole store to the ground.”

“I doubt it’s the store he’s worried about.”

Grimmjow snorted at the reply.

“Have you told him we’re not just housemates?”

“I assumed it was obvious...”

“Just to make sure you aren’t giving your old man too much credit.” Grimmjow eyed a little plastic toy on the floor, before kicking it under some displays.

“He still has his lucid moments sometimes.”

“If he’s gonna drop by everyday now, I’m going to pack my bags and dump you.”

“But Grimm, then _he’d win_.” Ichigo mocked on the other end.

Grimmjow only chuckled in reply.

He didn’t like having Urahara around since day one. The man was always a tad too shady for him to ever be comfortable, but at least he didn’t feel his eyes on him like he did with Isshin. That old man couldn’t even disguise it. It was as if he was trying to dig a hole into Grimmjow’s skull and peer into his thoughts and intentions.

Maybe in another universe Grimmjow had the power to show him just what he wanted to know and bombard him with gratuitous shots of his son to teach him a lesson, but sadly he was stuck in a dimension where that wasn’t possible. He needed a damn break.

“I don’t want to go to dinner Friday. With your family.” He said after a moment. “You fucking live at that goddamned hospital, and I’m blue balled as shit.”

“So that’s why you called me. Such a romantic.” Ichigo complained, as Grimmjow could practically hear the blush.

“Well I want some us time.” He went straight to the main point.

“Grimmjow, look--”

“I’m just asking for one Friday night to… hm.” Grimmjow glanced at Isshin and his boss, noticing Ichigo’s father hide behind the door as he was caught staring.

“Get busy?” Ichigo sighed. “A premeditated sex day is just… weird.”

“I’m not premeditating shit,” Grimmjow snapped, but kept his voice low. “I’m just saying if you take night shifts every day and visit your father on the only free time you have...”

“I know, I know...”

“I need something to keep me sane after spending my week around that guy.”

"And I'm your sanity keeper. How sweet."

Grimmjow snorted. If he had been a bit worried about moving in right away with someone he had full intentions of banging (pardon the language), those fears proved to be unreasonable.

Ichigo was never home. His hospital shifts were beyond random, and it seemed like the only days he could guarantee a free night were Fridays – which he dedicated to keeping up with his friends and family. It was just too bad Grimmjow got caught in a limbo between those two categories when he’d rather hog all that free time to himself.

When he woke up every morning, Ichigo was either gone or still passed out. And when went to bed, giving up after hours of zapping, Ichigo wasn’t usually home yet.

Ichigo said from day one that he was too busy to worry too much, but Grimmjow never thought of it so literally. They said distance made the heart grow fonder. Well, it was also turning his balls the same shade as his hair.

So even if he didn’t want to play the “lover” role, he had something to say about that. He didn’t think saving one night for _other stuff_ was much to ask for.

“Anyway, you always have to think ahead when it’s two guys...” Grimmjow mumbled.

“Grimmjow.” Ichigo groaned. “Don't start with that. I probably know more than you with the fair share of lessons on safe anal I had to give patients who just happened to _fall on their salads and get a cucumber up their ass_.”

“That so" Grimmjow couldn’t help but laugh.

"It's more often than you'd think."

“Well, I’m high maintenance. You don’t want me shoving vegetables up _my_ ass, do you?” Grimmjow taunted him.

“Thank you for that mental image.”

“Don’t get distracted with it while you work.”

“And thank you for that idea too.” Ichigo groaned on the other side of the line.

“Although it might be hard for you, knowing I’m here. By my lonesome. Horny.”

“You need to improve your flirting skills.” Ichigo scoffed, but his tone was somewhat amused. “It’s not all about you.”

“You want some flattery too, heh?” Grimmjow grinned, predatory.

“Grimmjow...” Ichigo reprimanded.

“You sure you want to do this? Your dad might hear...”

On the other side of the line, Ichigo only sighed.

“I wanna see you so bad.” Grimmjow quietly spoke, whispering to the phone like it was his lover’s ear, pausing to look for words. “Can’t wait to take those clothes off of you and... watch your body.”

On the other end of the line, Ichigo felt like facepalming. 

“All day wiping the floor and this is what you came up with. And my eyes are on my face you know?”

“I know, I’ve seen them before.” Grimmjow spoke, as if they were no big deal.

“Tsk. You suck at this.”

“Blow me.”

“Case in point.”

Another voice interrupted their conversation. Isshin rushed out of Urahara’s office like he already overextended his lighting visit.

“I’ll see you soon, Grimmjow!”

“Bye pops.” Grimmjow nonchalantly answered back.

Ichigo could actually hear the choked sound that left Isshin’s mouth.

“You’re gonna make him die young.” He accused.

“Think I’m too late for that.”

All the way to the Karakura Hospital, Ichigo looked at the clock that counted the seconds missing until he had to end his call and get back to work.

Grimmjow had been feeling a bit abandoned lately – or maybe just really bored – and probably needed like talking to someone who wasn’t twenty years his seniour or bossing him around. Ichigo understood why he wanted a change in routine, and it didn’t have nearly has much to do with his sex life as he’d like to pretend.

When you were out on the streets with people around you, loneliness was something one could brush off. Inside an empty house though...

“I have to go now.” He said, receiving a groan from the other end of the line.

Ichigo still spent most of his time away from his apartment, but it was different to go back to it now. It looked lived in, livelier, dirtier, messier. Like an actual home.

He no longer felt like it was a place devoid of personality. It was hard to when Grimmjow moved everything around and made a game of counting the days that went by until Ichigo noticed what was off. Some times the couch was re-positioned, others some new décor piece (heavily suspected to have been snubbed from Urahara’s shop) popped up in the living room. Once he had to search all over his kitchen’s cabinets before making a sandwich because “ _only idiots store spatulas on the furthest away drawer to the oven_ ” and so “ _I fixed it for you, you’re welcome._ ”

It got on his nerves but on the bright side, as flawed as he might have been, Grimmjow wasn’t all that bad. Or he if he was, he hid it well before Ichigo had time to find out.

Past all that, it would be nice to leave work and find Grimmjow awake, instead of passed out on his bed or couch after eventually giving up waiting for him.

“We don’t have to go Friday then.” Ichigo settled. "We could go have dinner by ourselves or something."

“Good.” Grimmjow sighed over the phone.

“I’ll talk to you later.” Ichigo ended the call.

He put his phone away and took the last bite of his sandwich, before turning around to realize he wasn’t quite as alone as he thought he was.

“Who was thaaaaaat?” A friendly and way too comfortable tone asked him.

Ichigo swallowed down harshly, feeling that last bit of his lunch go down awkwardly. Rukia was an old friend, but coincidentally one of the worst human beings possible.

Well, when it came to minding her own business at least.

“That sounded like someone special.” She taunted him, a good old smirk on her lips. “Someone you’ll cancel your Friday plans for.”

“Oh shut it, midget.”

The comment granted him a kick to the leg. Worth it.

“Come on, you think you can keep your secrets away from me? I lived a full year on your closet! You better tell me everything.”

“It’s not like I wanted you there!” He complained.

“That didn’t sound like a girl with all that cucumber talk.” She practically wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“Hey, how long have you been listening to me???”

So you have a boyfriend?” Rukia couldn’t even disguise her curiosity. Her eyes practically shined as she made that question, like she already knew the answer anyway.

“I wouldn’t call it that...” He looked all around him, searching for a way out of his predicament.

“Come on Ichi, I can tell by your face you really have it for this guy. Who is he?”

“Uhm, look at that, break’s over.” Ichigo shrugged. “Back to work.”

“Hey!” She rushed after him as he tried to walk away.

He should have known better.

“Tell me! You know much I’m into a good love story.” Rukia insisted.

Ichigo rubbed his forehead as he kept walking.

“Sure, it’s just that...”

“What?”

A smirk made its way onto his lips. A good love story, she said… That was a pretty heavy word for a couple of guys like them, who only really fought and made out on rare occasions.

If anything, she’d only be mad that he didn’t say anything about that soap opera nonsense earlier.

“Ichigooooo…” She poked his arm harder than expected from a girl her size.

“I’ll say! I just… don’t even know where to start.”

“By the beginning.”

“Smartass.” He rolled his eyes, speaking quietly enough for the conversation to not be picked up on by anyone else. “I had too much to drink-”

“Oh boy, it’s gonna be a good one.” She snorted. “You’re already making excuses.”

“What?” Ichigo turned to her, looking offended.

“Like you’d need a few drinks to have bad judgment. That’s sort of your natural state.” She waved her hand with a smug look. “You probably saw this guy had trouble written all over him and still wanted a piece of it the moment you laid your eyes on him.”

“Wow, it really sounds like you don’t want to hear the story after all.” Ichigo scowled.

“Alright, alright!” She raised her hands in defense. “I’ll be nice!”

Ichigo scoffed.

She made it sound like Grimmjow just fell from the sky to his feet and that was all she wrote. Ichigo was better than that. Over the past weeks, they shared a long (embarrassing) and complicated history, and since he knew she wouldn’t be leaving him alone until he told her all about it, he might as well prove her wrong from the get-go.

“I was outside a bar when its bouncer kicked him out...” He started, and then paused, realizing just what that sounded like.

He was two seconds in, and Rukia was already chuckling at his retelling. He felt a wave of embarrassment hit him right away.

“Called it.” She stated with pride.

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Despite that, he couldn’t help but smile.

 

 

 


End file.
